A new late-night taxi rank looks likely to be set up in the city centre after plans were supported by councillors.

Worcester City Council is looking to use a bus stop next to the city centre’s Cathedral Square as a late-night taxi rank following talks with drivers.

The council’s income generation subcommittee has agreed to a 28-day consultation on the plans to give the public the chance to offer its views and if approved could see the taxi rank up and running ‘officially’ ahead of the summer.

At the moment, the bus stop would be open every day to taxis between 8.30pm and 6am the following morning.

Cllr Jenny Barnes said having to walk from one end of the High Street to the other to find a taxi was a “real issue” and supported the idea of opening the taxi rank earlier from 7pm.

Cllr Simon Geraghty said the county council was looking to improve bus travel in the future – including later services – and had ‘struck a balance’ with the city council and bus provider Stagecoach over the rank’s opening times.

The plan was backed by councillors with Cllr Richard Udall saying the move was an “important step forward” with Cllr Marc Bayliss calling the new rank a “sensible idea.”

Cllr Simon Cronin said the current situation had been “ridiculous” and argued the taxi rank should have been put in place officially several years ago.

Cllr Pat Agar said the council needed to do all it could to support the taxi trade.

“Anything that makes it easier [to find a taxi] has to be good,” she said during the meeting in the Guildhall on Monday (March 7).

The bus stop is already being used “informally” by taxi drivers in the city centre to wait for and pick up passengers after bus services have finished for the day.

The existing rank – which was moved to make way for the multi-million-pound Cathedral Square redevelopment – only has space for one taxi.

The area, now home to dozens of bars and restaurants, has drawn in more visitors since opening in 2017 and has resulted in a greater need for taxis – particularly late at night.