Conservatives on the London Assembly have called for the Knowledge, the test undergone by all London black cab drivers, to be “scrapped”.
According to a new report published by Assembly Member Richard Tracey “young drivers are increasingly put off by the length and cost of the complex exam.”
Dropping the test in its current form is part of an eight point plan Mr Tracey says would help “save” the trade which is under increasing competition from mini cab firms, including Uber.
He’s proposing cutting the time drivers spend learning London’s streets from the current average of three years to just one, seeking sponsorship to pay for the rollout of cashless payment technologies in cabs and making Transport for London “a more pro-active taxi and PHV (Private Hire Vehicle) regulator”.
Other proposals include TfL offering interest-free loans for the purchase of new cabs and making taxi ranks a standard requirement for all large new developments.
Mr Tracey said: “The plight of London’s iconic black cabs is increasingly worrying as consumers seek out a cheaper and more streamlined service through app-based firms like Uber.
“I want this world-renowned industry, which has been a staple of London’s culture and image, to survive. But to do so it must make some fundamental changes to its pricing structure and the way it operates.
“The Knowledge has long been the gold standard of our black cabs but demanding that new drivers learn thousands of different routes and points of interest to memory is outdated and archaic in an age of sat-navs.
“Cutting down the Knowledge as part of a package of reforms will level the playing field for our much-loved cabbies and ensure our roads remain full of this popular and practical icon for the foreseeable future.”
Mr Tracey’s proposal to modify the Knowledge has been criticised by Steve McNamara of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association who said: “I am stunned that any elected representative would want to reduce the quality of service and gold standard reputation that the London Taxi Trade delivers.
“To suggest that lowering our standards to that of Uber and others in some sort of race to the bottom is ludicrous in the extreme.
“I would question the timing, motives and possible influences of senior Tory figures with this report being published just 16 days before the closure of TfLs consultation into Private Hire standards in London”
Oliver says
What?? This is so bizarrely ridiculous there HAS to be some hidden agenda. The Knowledge is world renowned… And to suggest satnav is some replacement is bordering on the insane: it’s like saying you have a comprehensive knowledge of London because you’ve read a tourist guide. And why on earth would anyone want to destroy something of excellence? Uber is certainly cheap but it’s also pretty bad… Everyone has their own dreadful stories and I certainly have my own – there’s little difference to jumping in to some unlicensed minicab in my experience. Don’t destroy something that raises London above every other major city.
James dedson says
Make ph do the knowledge .that’d be a level field .
Or just enforce the law.
That’d be easier
Norman Martin says
Hidden agenda …yes ..they need new cabbies pronto..you could say the young guns don’t want to know with the hassle of the traffic congestion ..the hassle of TFL and not to forget uber ..but it’s all about the money ..would you want to strap yourself up with a £40.000 plus zero emission cab in a couple of years when there is no punters …no way Jose
David A Newitt says
Richard Tracy has demonstrated on LBC this evening his complete ignorance and lack of understanding of what London Taxi drivers do on a daily basis.
He has no idea what level of knowledge they possess.
They randomly ply for hire in an instant at the kerb , does he know what that means?
They have to go immediately at the kerb and see lines across London that you can only learn from years of study and repetition.
He sadly is a very foolish man and is a typical jobsworth with nothing better to do than comment on a subject he obviously knows nothing about.
Those who do do , those who don’t teach.
Teach a subject you are qualified in and stop trying to dumb down the only successful travel mode in London.
Buffoon.
David Newitt
Firuz says
I think knowledge is the best way in order to know London street by street corner by corner building by building and the history,black cab drivers not only provide the service but they can give a bit of history as they drive alone,satnave are unreliable in case of signal lost or in case of getting lost or stolen,knowledge puts the London black cab in the first and best position in term of knowing the city in the world,I fully support the knowledge and the black cab in London,I have used Uber in past they have no idea where they are going unless they look at the satnave and sometimes it can be very dangerous,if I get an Uber right in the middle of busy road like Marylebone rd or Oxford street Über drivers have no idea which way to head because it’s all one ways and the restrictions around it they have absolutely no knowledge and they completely 100 percent rely on the satnave and if it loses signal or it freezes what will happen then?
Please support the black cab and the knowledge
Firuz says
Support the black cab