Knowledge of London suggested changes to help raise taxi driver student numbers come under scrutiny
The Knowledge of London (KOL) taxi driver test has come under scrutiny again as industry representatives look for ways to increase the number of students undertaking the training.
As it stands, the number of candidates studying the KOL at the testing stages, otherwise known as ‘Appearances’, is currently 677. In addition, as of April 2021, there were 565 candidates that had not yet reached the testing stages, but were signed on to the KOL and learning the capital’s road network.
Some of the ideas mentioned to reform the KOL includes scrapping the final outer London test knows as the ‘Suburbs’ test. Learning these routes can take 4 months and are rarely utilised whilst working as a taxi driver.
Another idea focuses around removing ‘red-lining’ from the testing process, which can send students BACK a level in the testing process. The idea suggested is that the student should now simply remain on the same level until they meet the required standard to move onto the next testing stage.
Despite the low number of students and decreasing levels of taxi drivers, some cabbies are however staunchly against any changes being made to the KOL process.
Steve McNamara, Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) General Secretary, spoke about the changes in TAXI Magazine. He said: “According to the Twitterati, it’s all a clever plot to scrap the Knowledge, reduce standards and sell us down the river. What they don’t tell you is that the proposed ‘changes’ simply take the number of suburban runs back to what we had 15 years ago. The irony is that those who are screaming the loudest all did it under the old system when it was 25 runs and when you got your ‘Rec’ on a Monday and the examiner said, ‘come back on Friday for your suburbs’. But, according to them everybody else should have to waste four months doing 120 plus suburban runs – learning streets and places that they will never go to in 50 years of driving a cab! A good example of ‘don’t do as I do, do as I tell you’.
“The Knowledge was last altered about 20 years ago, when the blue book went from 468 runs to 400 and then shortly after to the current 320. None of these changes affected the standard and if anything, it's now harder than ever.
“Currently, there are around 700 candidates on appearances, back in 2018 and before then, it used to average over 2,000. There is a plethora of reasons that numbers are down. Again, ironically, one of them is the negativity surrounding the trade and our poor image on social media!
“Whatever the reasons, we need to look at how to make the KOL more appealing to a younger generation, possibly ways to secure funding for those on appearances, in the same way funding is available for every other vocational trading course. With the important caveat that our ‘Gold Standard’ must not be watered down, we should not be scared to shine a light into the darkest corners of the Knowledge and consider every option to keep it relevant and valued in the 21st Century.”
