London taxi knowledge a guide to blue book runs how2become. I recently decided that seeing as finding a job is quite difficult at the moment i would use my time constructively and start doing the knowledge to become a london taxi driver. Nov 10, 2014 the knowledge, londons legendary taxidriver test, puts up a fight in the age of gps. These new transport for london approved runs have been professionally produced and offer the following features. It is done entirely at the candidates own expense and when they have completed the knowledge for the 6 mile radius which is tested orally on onetoone appearances by pco examiners they are required to do a crash course and be tested on all of the main arterial routes in and out of londons sprawling suburbs. London to enable you to qualify as an all london taxi driver.
Is there any tips on catching taxis in london, and whats the difference between normal taxis and the london black cabs. Ive been riding in london taxis for more than 15 years, and every time im in london, i immediately feel at home. To pass the knowledge learners are asked to remember an amazing 320 basic routes through london, 25,000 streets as well as 20,000 london landmarks and places of interest. A copy of the guide to learning the knowledge of london the blue book a booklet of advice on how to learn the knowledge and how you will be assessed. What is the knowledge taxi test and why is the exam taken by. What is the knowledge taxi test and why is the exam taken by londons black cab drivers so tough. Black london taxi knowledge runs blue book runs blue book run 1.
The montcalm at the brewery london city is a stunning five star property is perfectly located for exploring central london, with a plethora of attractions just a short cab journey away. Learn the knowledge of london transport for london. Channel 4s london cabbie documentary reveals the worlds toughest taxi test theres a rigorous fourstage examination process for hopeful black cab drivers. Rome2rio has found 4 ways to get from london to knole house by train, bus, taxi and car. The first book contains 80 of the routes, with the other three containing the other routes and example test maps as used by the pco. What is the knowledge taxi test and why is the exam taken. We will be carrying 2 large suitcases, so thinking taxi is the way to go. To become a london taxi driver you need to send us an application. Firstly, the only way you can get a blue book which was always pink is to apply to the public carriage office in penton street. All london drivers, also known as green badge drivers, need a detailed knowledge of london within a six mile radius of. This spatial learning is known as acquiring the knowledge and typically takes. The public carriage office pco, which regulates and licenses taxis and private hire commonly.
The knowledge can be done in 2 5 years, being 18 at the moment and hoping to take about 3 years to learn it it. Oct 17, 2017 what is the knowledge taxi test and why is the exam taken by londons black cab drivers so tough. Is there any tips on catching taxis in london, and whats the. But the knowledge is not simply a matter of wayfinding. How to become a london taxi driver knowledge of london. New yorkers grumble about seeing no empty taxis in the pouring rain despite a mass of yellow hurtling down the avenues. Oct 16, 2015 the montcalm at the brewery london city is a stunning five star property is perfectly located for exploring central london, with a plethora of attractions just a short cab journey away. It takes the average person between 2 and 4 years to learn the knowledge, a lot however depends on how much time and effort they are willing to dedicate in learning it. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading taxi knowledge of london. The right to ply for hire was first given to the watermen of the river thames by royal charter during the twelfth century. The guidebook issued to prospective cabbies by london taxi and private hire ltph, which oversees the test, summarizes the task like this. This group is for people who are doing the knowledge of london, be it green or yellow badges.
Blue book runs are the basic training aid that sets out the foundation for learning the knowledge of london. Channel 4s london cabbie documentary reveals the worlds toughest taxi test theres a rigorous fourstage examination process for. The knowledge can be done in 2 5 years, being 18 at the moment and hoping to take about 3 years to learn it it means by time i am 21 and able to. There are two types of licence which a taxi driver can apply for. The routes are simply a list of journeys and the following three are example runs.
Find out about the official london taxis, the only way to get the real london taxi experience. As part of the london taxi driver knowledge test you will be required to learn the blue book runs. Involving a huge amount of practical study, along with endless revision work and a continuous stream of vigorous verbal examinations, the knowledge is a real marathon, the acquirement of which takes. Well now that i have finished all the runs, im off out pointing. And this is how the famous knowledge of london exam came about. Fantastic service in both directions, thanks to you and i will use you again. But then most cities arent like londona city that loves its iconic black taxis and appreciates the work it takes to learn the knowledge the name for the training all london cabbies go through. Learning the knowledge starts with the blue book, or the manual that lists. The london knowledge run 299 black taxicab youtube. Oct 21, 2015 londons cabbies say the knowledge is better than uber and a gps. This is where the blue book is required, a handbook for budding taxi drivers which contains all of these routes and landmarks. Dec 11, 2015 were known around the world for the knowledge jump to media player the knowledge, a test which all black cab drivers in london must pass to secure a licence should be scrapped, the capitals. The taxi knowledge of london public group facebook.
So today i thought it might be possible to listen in to a knowledge student undertaking an examination. How long it takes to become a licensed taxi driver depends on whether you want to be an alllondon driver or a suburban driver. Parallels the drivers of londons licensed black cabs must memorize every street to navigate the city. When the candidate has completed his 320 blue book runs and his accompanying 640 quartermile radii pointgathering expeditions he will have covered the whole of central london. Get tips on how to tackle the blue book runs and taxi knowledge at how2become. May 25, 2009 there are infact four bluebooks that are used when learning the knowledge. With regulated fares and knowledgeable drivers, london taxis, the affordable way to see london, england, uk. Were known around the world for the knowledge jump to media player the knowledge, a test which all black cab drivers in london must pass to secure a licence should be scrapped, the capitals. To learn the knowledge of london and become a green badge london knowledge taxi driver you need to learn and memorise 320 basic routes, 25,000 streets within those basic routes and approximately 20,000 landmarks and points of interest located within a sixmile radius of charing cross in the centre of london, a massive undertaking by any stretch of the imagination. Once you have enrolled, you will be given a specific date, and invited along for a talk, on completion of the talk, you will be issued with the. To achieve the required standard to be licensed as an all london taxi driver you will need a thorough knowledge, primarily, of the area within a sixmile radius of charing cross. When you are accepted to start the knowledge you are given the blue book the fact that the cover of mine was pink is somewhat irrelevant, the cover was once blue so it remains forever known as the blue book. Would recommend to all wanting a taxi transfer from dalaman to the resorts. Blue badge style founder, fiona jarvis, was recently invited to the rca helen hamlyn centre, as they wanted disabled input on the karsan concept vi.
Starting my london taxi knowledge motor mouth section the. Taxicabs are regulated throughout the united kingdom, but the regulation of taxicabs in london is especially rigorous with regard to mechanical integrity and driver knowledge. The knowledge all licensed london taxi drivers need to pass a special test before they can drive one of the capitals famous black cabs. In those days all the royal palaces and large mansions fronted the river thames with the tower of london, palace of westminster, lambeth palace, richmond palace, hampton court and windsor castle all on the river. Taxi knowledge of london kindle edition by davies, nigel. All london drivers, also known as green badge drivers, need a detailed knowledge of london within a six mile radius of charing cross. The london knowledge the knowledge taxi london knowledge. Londons cabbies say the knowledge is better than uber. There are 320 blue book runs just simple routes crisscrossing london which. Feb 11, 20 london taxi drivers have the best reputation. If you want to book a radio cab or set up an account, please contact one of the three main taxi radio circuits in london. Training to be a london cabbie my experience of the process londons cabbies are famous for having the knowledge.
In 1851, the great exhibition was held in londons hyde park. There are over 24000 licensed taxi drivers in london. Little however is known about the regulation by anyone outside the trade. This is why taxi drivers have to learn and pass the worldfamous knowledge. Full set of blue book runs 0020 taxi trade promotions. We are definitely rebooking dm transfers in june and would recommend them. Go your own way introduction can you hack it the knowledge. The london knowledge before anyone is allowed to drive one of the famous london black cabs they will need to pass a test known commonly as the taxi knowledge or london knowledge. Where do i find a copy of the london taxi knowledge blue book. In order to obtain this candidates have to pass through the world renowned knowledge of london. If scrapping the knowledge would bring down fares then i say its good. Where do i find a copy of the london taxi knowledge blue. We are very excited to announce that our new style set blue book runs, containing 40 runs are now available to buy in store and online. After 15 mins i could not refrain myself and told tfl attendees that the reason the numbers for the kol are at an all time low was solely due to tfl allowing the ph industry to operate in our market place with none of our costs and also more importantly.
Civil var novel in nthe great tradition of classic litera ture, from the jq. Sep 12, 2009 starting my london taxi knowledge posted in motor mouth section. The knowledge, londons legendary taxidriver test, puts up a fight in the age of gps. The knowledge comprises 320 routes which stretch across london. We recommend taking the train from london charing cross to. This is where you will find a list of the 320 routes across london, as well as other information to help you during your studies. Yes, you did read that right, tfl have asked the trade orgs today for ideas on how tfl should could promote the kol. Taxidriver candidates known as knowledge boys and, increasingly today, knowledge girls are issued a copy of the socalled blue book. First, we do something called the blue book, which is 320 runs that take you all the way around the. Outstanding tour by knowledgeable, friendly professional. Starting my london taxi knowledge motor mouth section.
Now available at a one off first offer of all my files and data to pass the london green badge. As the brain remembers image more effectively than words we associate all of our points with pictures helping you to memorize points easier. Synopsis forty years ago alf townsend passed the knowledge after 14,000 miles on a moped round central london. Jan 25, 2018 for londons black cab drivers, thats all a part of the job. Uber is literally half the price, or worst case 23 if its surge pricing.
These routes, know in the trade as runs can be found in the guide to learning the knowledge of london more commonly known as the blue book, even though for decades the cover has been pink, which is issued to anyone who wants to become a cab driver. In order to qualify as a licensed london taxi driver, a trainee must learn the complex and irregular layout of londons. Nov 02, 2014 believe music, umg on behalf of blue velvet. For those that dont know pointing is learning all the points of interest on the roads that ive learnt in fact on all roads lol. Those hoping to get behind the wheel of one of the most iconic taxis in the world have to. A question im sometimes asked by passengers in the taxi is how long did it take you to pass. It can take up to 4 years to pass the london knowledge exam, thats a year longer than a university degree. In those studies also, the taxi drivers displayed more knowledge of the spatial relationships between landmarks in london, unsurprisingly, given their increased exposure to the city compared to control participants. The 320 main standard routes, or runs, through central london of the knowledge are contained within the blue book officially known as the guide to learning the knowledge of london, produced by the public carriage office which regulates licensed taxis in london. Remember you must know the runs in both directions. London to knole house 3 ways to travel via train, bus. Couldnt even bring myself to expense my employer the black cab amount. Londons cabbies say the knowledge is better than uber and.
Starting my london taxi knowledge posted in motor mouth section. Waze is good but i find it still doesnt know some of the best shortcuts in my area of london. I have a good knowledge of backroads where i am and when ive used it. To learn the knowledge of london and become a green badge london knowledge taxi driver you need to learn and memorise 320 basic routes, 25,000 streets within those basic routes and approximately 20,000 landmarks and points of interest located within a sixmile radius of charing cross in the centre of london, a massive undertaking by any stretch. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Blue book runs to learn for the knowledge of london.
Nov 29, 2012 the knowledge all licensed london taxi drivers need to pass a special test before they can drive one of the capitals famous black cabs. Then check out our simple guide to london taxi knowledge and blue book runs with. Now available at a one off first offer of all my files and data to pass the london. Knowledgepics helps individuals to revise and learn the blue book to become an all london taxi driver. About knowledge of london knowledge of london was first launched on saint georges day, the patron saint of england on the 23rd of april 2004, which also happens to be shakespeares accepted birthday. Since then he has covered millions of miles in his taxi. London has had a regulated taxi service for hundreds of years. The last point raised related to the law members instruction. These include the bank of england, the tower of london, and buckingham palace, to name just a few. Londons cabbies say the knowledge is better than uber and a gps. The school recently moved from their headquarters to a smaller building in a parking garage after the land was sold to build luxury. The knowledge, londons legendary taxidriver test, puts. From its earliest conception knowledge of london has focused on the hitherto undiscovered gems of hidden london. The knowledge points new location in islington, north london.
My experience of the process londons cabbies are famous for having the knowledge. Following satisfactory character and medical checks, you will be sent a knowledge of london introductory pack. In order to get behind the wheel, drivers must pass the knowledge, universally regarded as the worlds toughest taxi test. Although taxis in london were first licenced during the time of oliver cromwell, the requirement of studying this vast area is a relatively recent one it was only introduced during the victorian era. The london knowledge blue book run 299 of 320 visit uk for the complete 320 runs. A look into whats involved in learning the knowledge of london. Download your blue book runs and guide to taking the london knowledge. She said that one good thing about this is the door identification for partially sighted and the fact the wheelchair faces front and not back as in taxis today which sometimes makes me car sick. I used to effectively commute in taxis late night city to wandsworth. It takes the average person between 2 and 4 years to learn the knowledge, a lot however depends on how much time and. The knowledge all london taxi drivers are required to have a detailed knowledge of london within a 6 mile radius of charing cross. This book includes a selection of his extraordinary and hilarious tales of everyday life as a cabbie, in which we meet mr. For londons black cab drivers, thats all a part of the job. These are issued by the public carriage office and in total there are 320 to learn.
London taxi knowledge this is my record of the journey that starts with me buying a scooter to receiving my green badge so i can work as an all london taxi driver share my highs and lows as i work my way through the 25000 streets and learn every point on them. By this, they mean how long did it take to pass the knowledge of london usually shortened to the knowledge, the process of study and examination which all cabbies are required to pass before youre allowed to drive a famous london taxi. Find out more about the process and how to get your own blue book at tfl. The blue book lists 320 routes known as runs within the six mile radius of charing cross. In those days, great britain boasted a huge empire, upon which the sun famously never set, and. Taxi knowledge of london hypnotherapy black cab knowledge.
711 1408 1523 760 145 1061 928 597 1566 739 306 501 1142 251 1343 249 892 1386 451 1597 899 66 116 1466 1605 1014 1296 948 1148 1356 1134 1275 989 1164 55 465 1563 1277 284 608 303 615 382 1116 345