TAXI KNOWLEDGE: Why London’s black cab tradition must stay on course with shoots of recovery showing
The number of London’s licensed taxi drivers has been in decline since the pandemic, raising concerns about the future of the trade.
Suzanne Sullivan, Airport Representative for the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), is the latest to highlight the importance of The Knowledge in ensuring that the capital’s iconic black cabs remain a vital part of the city’s transport network.
At the end of 2024, there were 1,176 candidates actively working towards their licence, with 527 new applications accepted last year. While this marks an increase from previous years, there is still work to do to restore numbers to pre-pandemic levels.
The Knowledge remains as challenging as ever. Aspiring cabbies must still memorise thousands of routes, landmarks, and shortcuts across the capital. Sullivan, who regularly speaks to Knowledge students, confirms that there are no shortcuts to success. The only route to a badge is through dedication, extensive road time, and rigorous study.
Dean Warrington, founder of the WizAnn Knowledge school, has been at the heart of training cabbies for decades. Warrington, a licensed taxi driver himself, completed The Knowledge in just two years and later developed his own study materials. He argues that traditional study methods have not evolved in line with modern learning techniques, making the process harder than necessary for students.
Sullivan said in TAXI Newspaper: “I spoke to Dean Warrington, the owner of WizAnn. He shared his experience and enlightened me all about WizAnn school. Dean is a cabbie himself. He started the Knowledge in April 1994 and completed it just two years later in April 1996. He said whilst he was studying, he compiled a study regime and a book for the Knowledge. At the time, there were several schools teaching the Knowledge, all of which based their ideas and methods on the recommended study pattern of the Public Carriage Office (PCO) at that time.
“According to Dean, the problem with the study pattern, was that it had no foundation in modern learning techniques. The study curriculum did not match the testing as it should have. Dean says still to this day, that the suggested method remains the same and if students study this method, he believes that they as individuals are going to find the Knowledge harder and take longer to achieve their goal.
“I studied at Knowledge Point on Caledonian Road at the time, as I lived in North London. It was sold to Elenor Cross and moved to Brewery Road and is now based in Robert Street.
“WizAnn is the only Knowledge school still owned and run by its original founder and owner. Dean started small with the help of his wife at the time, selling their book, ‘Taxi The Complete Knowledge,’ and teaching from their home, in their living room. Dean got the name from a mixture of his nickname Wiz and his wife’s name Ann, WizAnn.
“They opened their first school in Cording Street, but it soon grew and they had to move to Watts Grove, where they created in Dean’s words, “By far the best school the Knowledge had ever seen.” They had queues at the door for tables, so he knew he had to expand once more.
“They then moved to Gillender Street with 5,000sqft. They had around 100 tables and could seat 200 students at any one time. That building was sold to developers and again they had to move.”
A downsized move to City Airport followed due to the rise in private hire numbers followed and once Covid hit Wizann moved again to Blount Street where they are now.
Sullivan added: “However, Dean needs to expand once more, so is now opening his seventh school in Thames Street, Greenwich. It is the first school he will fully own, and he is very excited, as he told me the new building is “something special”.
“The good news is, that the Knowledge is starting to grow again and the future is starting looking more stable. This new school is 1,700 sqft and Dean feels this school is going to be the perfect environment to study. Dean is hopeful the school will open in March, but in the meantime he assures his students that the school in Blount Street will remain open, making this first time Dean will have two schools in operation.
“I wish Dean the best of luck, as it’s important we keep the Knowledge very much alive to make our trade flourish and to get it back to its full numbers.“
