Torbay Council has confirmed that four taxi marshals will continue to patrol Torquay and Paignton every Friday and Saturday night until at least the end of March 2026. The teams are stationed near busy taxi ranks and night-bus shelters to help people get home safely and keep the peace during the busiest hours of the night.
The marshals work every Friday and Saturday between 10:00pm and 4:00am. In Torquay they focus on areas around The Strand, the Pavilion and Vaughan Parade, where crowds often gather for taxis or night buses after visiting local bars and restaurants.
Torbay Council says the marshals help prevent trouble in taxi queues and manage transport waiting areas. Council materials also describe the scheme as a partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police; the council characterises the marshals as additional ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground, helping to free up officers to prioritise high‑priority emergency calls. Sector guidance and local policing programmes further note that visible marshals can deter touting by unlicensed drivers, though Torbay Council’s public page does not use the specific phrase ‘stop unlicensed drivers.’
Funding for the service comes from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund together with earlier Safer Streets and other safety grants. The council has kept the marshals in place while harbourside redevelopment and related relocation of taxi ranks and bus stops have altered where people wait for transport, creating potential confusion for late‑night travellers.
The current funding is secured only until the end of March 2026. Torbay Council and local stakeholders say the marshals have helped reduce late‑night friction in the town centre; local taxi drivers and business owners report that the high‑visibility jackets and presence of marshals help defuse arguments and ensure vulnerable people are looked after while waiting for rides.
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