Sat-nav can’t equal drivers with the Knowledge
SIR – The Adam Smith Institute has suggested that the Knowledge test for taxi drivers should be scrapped because it gives black cabs an unfair advantage over Uber (report, May 5). This is nonsense.
To acquire the Knowledge is very demanding and sat-nav is not its equal. Steve Mcnamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, is right that London is famous for its black cabs. In my long experience, drivers are polite and friendly, and you rarely, if ever, need to explain where your destination is. Black cabs are an intrinsic part of the fabric of London. Geoffrey Tuffs
London EC2
SIR – It was with great concern that I read that the Adam Smith Institute has said the Knowledge should be scrapped. Having sat in as an observer of the test some years ago, I saw that on successful completion of the intense series of tests, taxi drivers’ intimate knowledge of London would get passengers to their destinations quickly and efficiently, without the need to call “base” for guidance.
The test involved identifying the shortest route and naming the roads between two identified businesses, office blocks, institutions, museums or theatres, and giving clear guidance to the examiner where turns are made. The name of the street that the destination is in would not necessarily be known to the hirer, hence the need for the driver to have that intimate knowledge. A driver for a ridehailing or private-hire company is not required to have such depth of knowledge.
The test should be kept. It is a sign of the quality service provided by London licensed taxi drivers.
David Watts Egham, Surrey