SADIQ KHAN: ‘As we emerge from the pandemic, I cannot imagine a future without black cabs’
The Mayor of London cannot ‘imagine a future without black cabs’ and if re-elected has offered to work with taxi trade representatives to find out what more can be done to increase the number of students training to become taxi drivers.
Known around the world as the toughest taxi test on the planet, the Knowledge of London (KOL) is the test every licensed taxi driver must pass to earn the right to work as a black cab driver. Thousands of street names and places of interest must be visited and remembered by students, and then recounted in one-to-one oral tests that gauge the student's knowledge of the capital.
The number of candidates currently taking part in the later oral ‘Appearance’ test stages sits at just 677. In addition, as of April 2021, there were also 565 candidates that had not yet reached the ‘Appearance’ stages.
The worryingly low number of students learning London’s road network and waiting in the wings to take over from an ageing group of licensed taxi drivers has caused a decrease in the number of licensed taxi drivers in the capital.
In April 2015 there were 25,232 drivers licensed to ply-for-hire in London. In April 2020, before the pandemic hit the industry hard, this number had already fallen to 22,337.
Despite the alarming drop in numbers, Sadiq Khan told TaxiPoint that Transport for London (TfL) has worked hard to raise the profile of the KOL and promote the benefits of being a London taxi driver since he become Mayor in 2016.
The current London Mayor described the licensed taxi industry as ‘internationally recognised as a part of our city’s fabric’ and will, if re-elected, discuss with taxi trade reps what more can be done to increase the number of students training to become taxi drivers via his team.
TaxiPoint asked the Mayor of London: “One of your mayoral pledges is based upon investing money to help unemployed people into 'future-proofed' employment. Firstly, do you consider the role of a taxi driver to be 'future-proofed'?
“And secondly, if so, will you show your support for the taxi industry by investing funds in the Knowledge of London to increase the number of students training to become taxi drivers?”
Sadiq Khan told TaxiPoint: “London’s black cabs are iconic and are internationally recognised as a part of our city’s fabric. As we emerge from the pandemic, I cannot imagine a future without black cabs. They offer passengers both safety and convenience, playing a key role in providing accessible travel for all.
“As long as I am Mayor, taxi drivers will have an important part to play in London. You only need to look at my track record - if this was an industry that I didn't believe had a viable future, then I wouldn't be investing tens of millions directly into the trade.
“My £42m support package has enabled more cleaner, greener ZEC vehicles to be licensed and I applaud the efforts made by the taxi trade to clean up the taxi fleet. In total, more than 4,000 delicensing payments have been made, equating to more than £34m of direct support for the taxi trade.
“TfL has worked hard to promote the benefits of being a London taxi driver
by raising the profile of the Knowledge and have explored ways for TfL to gain accreditation for the Knowledge. If I'm re-elected, I'd be happy to ask my team to discuss with trade reps what more can be done to increase the number of students training to become taxi drivers.”
