Black Cab Taxi Drivers - The Knowledge

There are 5 basic requirements to hold a black cab licence:

• Age: you must be 21 or more
• Character: you need to be a fit and proper person
• Health: you need to be basically fit and healthy and have a medical report from your own doctor
• Knowledge of London: "The Knowledge" - a test of your knowledge of London
• Ability to drive a taxi: - a test of your ability to handle a taxi

THE KNOWLEDGE

You will need a thorough knowledge of London, including the location of streets, clubs, hospitals, hotels, theatres & cinemas, government & public buildings, train & tube stations, police stations, courts, diplomatic buildings, important places of worship, cemeteries & crematoria, parks & open spaces, sports & leisure centres, schools colleges & universities, restaurants and historic buildings. In fact everything needed to be able to take your passengers in your taxi to their destination by the most direct routes.

A black cab driver may be licensed either for the whole of London or for one or more of 16 suburban sectors. The "All London" licence requires a detailed knowledge of the 25,000 streets located within 6 miles of Charing Cross as well as a general knowledge of the major routes through the rest of London. If you wish to work as a taxi driver in Central London or at Heathrow Airport you will need the "All London" licence.

The alternative is to study for a suburban licence. Outside the six mile radius, London is divided into sixteen sectors. You can select one of these and will be required to have a detailed knowledge of this sector along with a more general knowledge of Central London. You may add additional sectors once you have achieved your taxi licence.

Taxi cab drivers are assessed initially by means of a written test which determines whether they have reached the required standard to commence "appearances." These are a series of one-to-one oral examinations conducted by a qualified Knowledge of London Examiner. The examiner grades each applicant according to their performance. The higher the grade achieved on each appearance, the quicker the applicant can expect to receive a licence. Some applicants are able to pass the Knowledge with 10 or 12 appearances while others take longer.

MORE ON THE PRACTICAL TAXI TEST

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