Applications for The Knowledge black cab examination triple in two years

London black cabbies may very well be set for a revival after functions for The Knowledge tripled in two years – regardless of issues the world’s hardest taxi take a look at might die out.

The difficult examination, which was launched in 1865, requires drivers to memorise 25,000 streets and 100,000 landmarks inside a six-mile radius of Charing Cross.

Successful candidates should study 320 routes and get by seven levels, with as much as a dozen interviews having to be handed throughout a course of taking as much as 4 years.

Fears have been raised lately that the take a look at might develop into extinct, with functions falling 94 per cent in a decade from 3,000 in 2012 to simply 174 in 2021.

But numbers are actually rising once more, with the 2023 whole hitting 579 – triple the determine from two years prior, and effectively above the final pre-pandemic variety of 356 in 2019.

The rise seems to be partly all the way down to a scheme launched by mobility app Freenow, which lets passengers hail non-public rent vehicles just like Uber, but additionally black cabs.

The German-based agency is providing a subsidy permitting its 20,000 non-public rent drivers to use for funding to finish the examination, which may value folks as much as £10,000.

The rise in candidates for the take a look at isn’t but impacting the variety of newly-licenced taxi drivers, which fell to simply 121 final 12 months, having been at 1,000 as just lately as 2013.

But there shall be a time lag for this to have an impact on condition that Transport for London (TfL), which runs the system, says it usually takes three to 4 years to finish the take a look at.

The Knowledge was introduced in after the landmark Great Exhibition of 1851 on the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, which attracted a whole bunch of hundreds of tourists – lots of whom then complained about their terrible journeys as a result of cab drivers didn’t know the route.

The take a look at was immortalised in a 1979 TV comedy drama referred to as The Knowledge,  written by the late Jack Rosenthal with a forged together with his spouse Maureen Lipman, Nigel Hawthorne and Mick Ford.

It additionally featured in a 1996 BBC Modern Times documentary referred to as Streetwise, which adopted drivers making ready for the examination and continues to be out there on iPlayer.

Latest TfL knowledge for the week ending February 4 reveals there are 17,572 energetic taxi driver licences – in comparison with 106,588 non-public rent driver licences. In 2014, the overall was 25,538 for taxi drivers and 78,690 for personal rent drivers.

The black cab occupation has come underneath pressure lately from Uber and different related hailing apps which provide cheaper rides from non-public rent drivers.

When passengers request a journey with Freenow, the app provides them an possibility of a non-public rent automotive or a taxi, with the taxi virtually at all times dearer.

For instance, a visit at this time from High Street Kensington station in West London to Victoria is £13.61 for a non-public rent automotive, or £24 to £32 for a black cab.

Freenow and the motive force can subsequently earn more money from a black cab fare – subsequently giving each the agency and the motive force an incentive to have a black cab.

Its fee price for black cabs is ready at 18 per cent on the fare quantity plus any suggestions. This consists of VAT however doesn’t apply to bonuses, tolls and airport charges.

Freenow, which stated it was making an attempt to save lots of the black cab trade, launched the scheme final November and it has obtained 900 functions thus far – together with 500 within the first 24 hours.

In the final week of January this 12 months, the Knowledge had extra candidates than in the entire of January final 12 months.

Freenow is funding the applying value, tuition payment, exams and licensing required with as much as £2,000 per driver over a minimal interval of two years.

The agency – which is the primary firm to supply such a scheme – hopes many drivers will need the status of driving a London taxi in addition to having the ability to say they’re a black cab driver.

There are additionally monetary incentives, with these driving taxis in a position to get increased fares than they’ll tackle non-public rent automobiles in addition to premium company jobs, and a £900 bonus in the event that they promote Freenow on the facet of their cab.

An inner survey by the agency of all non-public rent drivers in London revealed 52 per cent had thought of changing into a black cab driver, and 49 per cent suppose the Knowledge needs to be made less complicated.

Some 40 per cent thought passing the Knowledge ought to take much less time, whereas 34 per cent stated they’d take into account doing the Knowledge if monetary assist was out there.

The take a look at is understood to be extraordinarily difficult, and Mayor Sadiq Khan revealed in 2021 that the drop-out price was about 70 per cent – a determine which he stated had been ‘constant for a few years’.

Mr Khan added that the majority candidates who don’t proceed achieve this at an ‘early stage of the method’.

Mariusz Zabrocki, normal supervisor of Freenow UK, stated: ‘Our aim is to assist our drivers to thrive throughout the trade. The functions for black cab licences have dropped from over 3,000 in 2011/12 to simply 221 in 2022.

‘We need to assist reignite the trade by supporting skilled and educated non-public rent automobile drivers to progress of their careers and assist them full their research by monetary support and studying assist.

‘Increasing the variety of black cab drivers within the metropolis will profit native companies, together with retailers, eating places, bars, theatres and the tourism trade, finally bolstering London’s economic system.’

Among the schooling centres engaged on the scheme with Freenow is the Wizann Knowledge School, primarily based in Limehouse and one of many largest in London.

Its founder Dean Warrington informed the Mail on Sunday in 2021 that the training college was 3,000 sq. ft, however had since lowered to 300 sq. ft.  

In addition, they beforehand had 400 to 500 college students a 12 months, however that had fallen to between 50 and 100 on the time.

On Wednesday, non-public rent and courier agency Addison Lee additionally launched a brand new partnership with WizAnn, which is able to see its drivers supplied with the Knowledge coaching at a reduced price. 

Steve McNamara, normal secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, stated: ‘Any initiative which helps encourage extra folks to review the Knowledge and work in the direction of becoming a member of our ranks as skilled, extremely skilled, London licensed taxi drivers may be very welcome.

‘The Knowledge requires dedication and laborious work, however the abilities it develops stay as related at this time as they ever have been, permitting drivers to take the quickest, most direct route, keep away from highway closures and site visitors, and making certain they’ll present clients with a dependable, environment friendly service.’

He added that the commerce ‘has a vivid future forward of it’ and stated it was a ‘rewarding, versatile and dynamic job’.

Perry Richardson, founding father of TaxiPoint journal and a London taxi driver, informed MailOnline: ‘It is in fact encouraging that extra folks are actually making use of to develop into a taxi driver, nonetheless it’s nonetheless effectively under what’s required to keep up, not to mention enhance driver numbers long-term and extra should be executed.’

He cited TfL knowledge suggesting the trade is dropping round 1,000 licensed cab drivers every year, and identified that this quantity will proceed declining till the commerce can match it with new recruits.

Mr Richardson continued: ‘Recently we have seen mobility apps like Freenow, Gett and Addison Lee spend money on the Knowledge of London, which may be no unhealthy factor, and it targets a key demographic; non-public rent drivers.

‘There are nonetheless different demographics to focus on as effectively. Delivery drivers and ladies in search of versatile working, are simply two sections of society that needs to be a commerce that has seen an enormous spike in demand since folks returned again from the Covid pandemic.’

He additionally referred to as on Mr Khan to make the job ‘extra attractive’ by permitting taxi entry in all bus lanes and lengthening age limits on all greener electrical automobiles to carry down prices.

Mr Richardson stated: ‘If the regulators can interact with the commerce, act rapidly on issues and admire the important function a taxi driver performs within the capital, there isn’t any cause in any respect why extra folks will see the job as fulfilling and viable long-term profession.’

But the black cab enterprise faces a continued menace from Uber, which this week reported its first full-year revenue since going public in 2019.

Its shares hit an all-time excessive as sturdy bookings within the last quarter of the 12 months pushed income past Wall Street expectations.

The firm, primarily based in San Francisco, has targeted on slicing prices and build up a food-delivery division, which has since develop into a serious income driver.

Uber’s ride-hailing service has progressively bounced again too and figures from the fourth quarter have been additionally optimistic for the corporate. Delivery income grew 6 per cent and income for the ride-share a part of the enterprise climbed 34 per cent.

Last month Uber introduced that it was shutting down alcohol supply app Drizly on the finish of March in order that it might deal with its core Uber Eats technique of serving to shoppers get virtually something on a single app.