Facts about the Famous Knowledge of London Exam and London Taxis

For the 6th year in a row London Black Taxi Cabs have been voted the best in the world in the annual survey organised by hotels.com. How’s that for a recommendation!

There are approximately 22,500 Black Taxi Drivers in London. You only have to wait a minute or two before you see that yellow light coming towards you to take you safely to where you want to go next.

A Hackney Carriage is the real name for a London Black Taxi and has been in existence since the 17th century, but of course they were horse drawn then. 1903 was the year the first petrol powered taxi cab hit the roads of London.

Until the 19th century London’s taxi drivers were unregulated. The Metropolitan Police were given the task of overseeing London’s taxi drivers, making sure they were ‘fit and proper’ and had sufficient knowledge of London to do their job well. And this is how the famous knowledge of London exam came about.

It can take up to 4 years to pass the London Knowledge Exam, that’s a year longer than a university degree!

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. So when you jump in a taxi cab and ask do you know such and such a place, yes, they do!