Call to scrap current London taxi driver Knowledge test

[19sixtysix]

I'm a large red cab user. The black ones are mostly irrelevant to me except when as tomorrow morning I get off the sleeper train and take one to work to avoid the commuting hoards. Then it is £5 well spent to have that arrive at work in London without commuting feeling.

I'm not sure the knowledge is the best cause they never take the route I'd drive and I'm not convinced they take the quick route at all.

 

[Spymaster]

Barbican to Monument £25 ...

 

[Smick]

It only takes an £8 journey and when they triple it up, it becomes that amount. Girls with high heels will gladly pay it rather than walk the length of themselves.

 

[telbert]

black taxi drivers make hefty wedge - fact.

Nonsense.

 

[tony.c]

..in Italy they use a licence system...with a restricted number of available licences which the drivers can then sell on at some significant capital outlay to the new driver when they retire.....a bit like buying a seat on the Stock Exchange....

It's the same in New York. Taxi licences are auctioned and go for more than $100,000. They are bought by the yellow cab firms who then employ drivers on shifts around the clock.
At least in London the ordinary person can get a licence if prepared to put in the hours doing the Knowledge.

 

[tony.c]

dont have a problem with black cabs knowledge being barrier to entry issue,its an apprenticeship ultimately.

some uk cities do still restrict plate levels and they do have a value- think london is unlimited now, so plates have no value.

The number of licences in London is limited. It is set by the Mayor and TfL, but in practice it is not increased much.
I don't know the exact number now, but it used to be about 22,000. If you are doing the Knowledge, apart from achieving the requisite standard, you are also waiting for an existing badge holder to die, retire or hand their badge in.

 

[skyscraper101]

I always get in taxis before saying where I am going

This. Although sometimes they won't unlock the doors until you tell them where you're going though the window.

Not letting you in until you tell them where you want to go. Another cunt trick to refuse a fare. Only ever happens to me in London.

 

[sim667]

london in 20 years time will have no

book shops
libraries
cinemas
music/media shops
black taxis

it'll just be resturants and barbers and estate agents.

fact.

internet, init.

You forgot the cereal cafes.

 

[paolo]

It's the same in New York. Taxi licences are auctioned and go for more than $100,000. They are bought by the yellow cab firms who then employ drivers on shifts around the clock.
At least in London the ordinary person can get a licence if prepared to put in the hours doing the Knowledge.

When I last took a cab in NYC, maybe 20 years ago, the driver said medallions were going for $250k.

And the standard of drivers can be dreadful. On one trip I had to direct the driver, in a grid system which is anyone, even a visitor, can navigate.

I prefer the London system where the barrier to entry is knowledge, not the tradeable value of the license.

That said, the 'trade' needs to get with the times.

Every black cab driver should really be using tech to:
- See real time traffic (loads don't, even though it's a standard feature on any modern phone)
- Take cards, without huge additional fees.
- Take real time 'hails' via an app.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

The number of licences in London is limited.

I'm almost certain that's not the case.

Councils (outside London) may limit the number of hackney carriage vehicle (but not driver) licences - which does create a grey market value for vehicle licences - but not the number of driver licences - and they have to show good cause to limit numbers or they can be open to legal challenge.

And councils can't limit the number of private hire (minicab) vehicle licences - Boris has made noises about seeking legal powers to do so.

 

[tony.c]

I'm almost certain that's not the case.

I was referring to London licenced cabs ('black cabs'). They are limited in number, only increasing slightly every year. There are big increases in licensed minicabs, but they are not legally allowed to pick up on the street.

 

[not-bono-ever]

What us the going rate to purchase a hack plate in london ?

mate got one in newcastle in the mid 90's off the council on the provision it was attached to a new black cab iirc. plate had intrinsic value for a while but now seems to be almost worthless due to the plethora of taxis kicking arounf the place...this could of course be bollocks as he owes me a grand