City of London members voted 13 to 8 on Tuesday 10 November 2026 to make licensed taxi access through Bank Junction permanent, the Evening Standard reported.
The Planning and Transportation Committee agreed to retain licensed taxi access between Poultry and Cornhill. A City of London Corporation spokesperson set out that decision in comments carried by My London.
"Following consideration of the evidence gathered during the experimental period, Members have agreed to retain licensed taxi access across Bank Junction between Poultry and Cornhill. The wider weekday restrictions on other motor traffic will remain in place."
What the order does
The report to the committee had asked members to make an order continuing licensed taxi access to and from the Cornhill and Poultry arms from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday. The experiment began on 28 July 2025 and expires on 28 January 2027, so officers are to complete that order before the experimental order runs out. No turning movements for taxis were added. During the restricted hours, taxis are not permitted to turn towards Monument or Fenchurch Street. Private hire vehicles and powered two-wheelers stay restricted, with the wider weekday limits on other motor traffic left as they are.
The Court of Common Council voted in June 2024 to test taxi access while still restricting other traffic, including private hire vehicles, between 7am and 7pm on weekdays. Restrictions brought in during 2017 had kept licensed taxis off the junction in those hours. In 2015, 26-year-old cyclist Ying Tao was crushed by a lorry while riding to work near Bank station.
The disagreement
Officers recommended making the order permanent because of the 2024 Court decision, support in the public consultation, higher taxi availability at Bank, and no clear evidence of a significant negative impact. The annualised casualty rate over the months available was 9.0, against a three-year baseline of 5.67. No taxi was directly involved in those collisions, and the report finds the evidence insufficient to tie the higher rate to the order. The London Cycling Campaign's formal objection was still unresolved.
Deputy John Edwards, chair of the Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee, called the recommendation astonishing. On the tests the Corporation had set, he argued, the trial had failed.
"What's happened is we've displaced taxis from the access streets where we want vehicles and moved them to a junction where we don't want vehicles.
"So we haven't actually increased the number of taxis in the Square Mile. That continues to decrease. All we've done is bring them from a place we want vehicles, as per our transport strategy, to a place we don't want vehicles."
Deputy Keith Bottomley told colleagues the question was accessibility and equality. "Black cabs are an essential part of London's accessible transport network."
Alderwoman Alison Gowman was not convinced. She recalled the coroner's criticism of the Corporation after Ying Tao's death, for not having done enough to promote safety at the junction.
"We need to decide, have we got the persuasive evidence now that this should be changed? And my view...is that everything is very marginal, negative and somewhat contrived to make it look as if there is some benefit from this. There's no conclusive evidence, no slam dunk if you like, that this has a positive effect on all methods of transport including walking and wheeling."
Simon Munk, head of campaigns and community development at the London Cycling Campaign, warned that allowing more motor traffic through Bank Junction risked undermining previous safety improvements.
After the vote
Paul Brennan, chairman of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, was delighted.
"This is a victory for common sense, accessibility and evidence-based decision-making.
"The overwhelming support from the public, pedestrians and City businesses reinforces what we have argued all along. Licensed taxis are an essential part of London's public transport network and should be treated accordingly.
"I would also like to thank the Corporation's officers for their outstanding work throughout this process, and commend the committee members who had the foresight to look beyond the scaremongering and predictions of doom from certain quarters. By giving the experiment a fair opportunity and allowing the evidence to speak for itself, they have demonstrated the value of sound, evidence-led decision making. Yesterday's decision is a testament to that approach, and they deserve considerable credit for reaching such a sensible and positive outcome.
"We hope other London authorities, including Transport for London (TfL), will take notice. Bank Junction demonstrates what happens when transport decisions are driven by evidence rather than ideology."
A spokesperson for Wheels for Wellbeing, which supports disabled people to cycle, was concerned that reopening the space to taxis had made disabled people less safe.
"We're very concerned that disabled people have been made less safe at Bank Junction now the space has been re-opened to taxis.
"Disabled people are at much higher risk of being killed and injured in collisions with drivers than non-disabled people, so increased through-traffic will inevitably result in more disabled and marginalised people being hurt. The bus and cycle only daytime restrictions made this very busy area much safer for everyone - and taxis were still able to reach all destinations during the day and use the area at night, supporting the proportion of disabled people who need to be dropped off and picked up close to venues.
"We must prioritise safety and stop making our public spaces dangerous for people outside vehicles just for the convenience of people who are travelling through the area in a vehicle."