Taxi Driver Online

The only vested interest we have is LTI vehicles, the Knowledge is a quality control which is like any other in the world.

Thats something I, and 25'000 other drivers will fight to retain.

I can see London being brought to a halt on a few occasions in the near future if this 'quicky' Knowledge is progressed to the implementation stage.

Personaly I can see a watered down version of Hulme-cross being brought in which retains the Knowledge, but uses an outside examination source.

We've seen it recently with McBain and the Fire service, Sheehey and the Police, all of which have had about half the reccomendations negotiated out of the original plans.

It may even bring our alternative vehicles with it?

The future will be a fully licensed Knowledge Sat Nav system which you will rent from PCO for £X per week/year. It will have all London roads both covering both yellow and green badge areas. It will have a full list of all points in London. It will also cover the whole UK. It will be updated weekly by the net.

If any of you guys have use Sat Nav you will know what I am talking about. The only problems come from the mapping software and POI's. If the PCO spent some money on these issues the door would be open.

The punter gets in the cab, puts in the address he wants to go into the touch screen in the back of the cab and bob's yer unkle. Your punter can even watch the journey on the screen, see the ETA, DTG, route etc.

The only barrier to entry them will be money. Why put all that effort in to learning the knowledge? A child would be able to do it with a robust Sat Nav system.

You need to get in at ground level, this will happen, it's not if but when.

Peace


PS Sat Nav's don't work in snow, not normally a problem but what's that on the news.....

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Anyone drive a green taxi?

It could'nt be any worse than my TomTom sending you down one way streets (against the flow) No right turns, and U-turns on dual-carriageways with no U turn signs???

Luckily its complimentary to my knowledge, and I don't rely on it until i'm out in suburbia.

I have to agree with you on this. I don't have my my TTgo on whilst working in town, only on the rare occasion that I get a job out a bit do I use it.
Have you noticed the adverts for TomTom? It shows a picture of Berkley st and shows the arrow to turn RIGHT at the Piccadilly end.???

There was a bit on the ITV news on Monday about using a sat-nav and 'The Knowledge' The reporter saved himself 6 minutes with 'The Knowledge' directions.
This 'The Knowledge' is an new organisation that if you get lost or need help in London you phone this PRENIUM number, £1 a minute, and a'live' cab driver will get you where you want to get to.
How do I know all this???

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Make trafic wardens redundant. PARK LEGALLY.
Congestion charge! Before it was free.

I think you could well be right, and about time too.

The way drivers are assessed by the testers is from the dark ages. And if those jumped up [edited by admin] are removed, then that should be a cause for celebration.

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IDFIMH

Especially when the report says;

Several organisations flagged up the issue of an ageing driver population, and provided compelling evidence that the entrance examination – the Knowledge – was affecting recruitment adversely.

For organizations read the black cab circuits.

I think if your side of the trade spent more time keeping an eye on your own, as opposed to the bikes, then you might be in a better position.

Ollie

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Happy to be legit.

Talking of which, I take it from the list of consultees that the LTDA don't care about such things as the KOL.

Written Submissions
The PCO
The Mayor
London Cab Drivers Club
London Motor Cab Proprietors Association
Kingston and Surbiton Licensed Taxi Drivers
London Suburban Taxi-drivers Coalition
Computer Cab plc
Richmond Road Cab Centre
London Taxi Network
London Taxi Board
London Taxis International
Licensed Private Hire Car Association
Addison Lee

Ollie

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Happy to be legit.

And nothing from the T&G.

Oh silly me, it's London, and they don't have quotas there so the T&G don't give a f***.

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IDFIMH

Oh they have taken part Ollie, fear not.

Have a read of Taxi when its next out, you will see a suitable response to these RECOMENDATIONS.

And in a few months when your sitting gridlocked in the city again, that will also be a response from the LTDA.

You will note most of the people listed represent the people most likely to benefit from more drivers, ie: greed takes over from rational thinking, poor old John Griffen must be bricking it though, he can'nt hold onto staff as it is, yet alone more leaving to become Taxi drivers.

I noticed the one man band, Steve Wright MBE, otherwise known as the LPHCA, took part, you should join up Ollie, that would make 7 of you out of a potential 30'000.

No, for organisations, read: LTI vehicles and fleet owners.

Is that from your experience then Sussex?

In what way is an oral test of a route between two points draconian or from the dark ages?

It seems a fairly straight forward way to me, if you excuse the pun.

You seem to forget the Knowledge was revamped in 1998, with a much fairer points system, opposed to the 'old' days of getting a drop on appearance frequencies when the examiner decides.

The old system was further modified in 2004 with a shorter Blue Book and an intermediate self assesment map test.

If they want more drivers, stop charging people nearly £200 to go on your first appearance, then £34K for a vehicle to drive.

So that's the way the LTDA do things is it, via there mag.

Why can't they do both, and instead of following others, actually try to take the lead on these issues.

Poor show I'm afraid.

Ollie

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Happy to be legit.

Time you were in bed Ollie, you've got another Long day ahead of you (again)

Me? I might work, I might not.

Nice to see they still irritate you though.

As long as they irritate the old Minicabs, I'll keep paying my subscriptions.

Irritate me no, amuse me yes. All the pious preachings from Oddy and Steve Mac on the radio make my day.

Still why should they bother themselves with such trivial issues as the KOL?

Ollie

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Happy to be legit.