Taxi Driver Online

Hundreds of black taxi driver sign-ups in London after 'The Knowledge' test made free

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ ... 28732.html

Normally it takes several years to complete The Knowledge at a cost of up to £5,000

Hundreds of Londoners have signed up to become black taxi drivers after being given the chance to study “The Knowledge” for free.

The initiative is described as the biggest drive to boost the capital’s taxi trade since the 2012 Olympics.

It came as Mayor Sadiq Khan said Transport for London would be asked to draw up a “new vision” for the black cab trade in a bid to safeguard the future of the capital’s iconic taxis.

Freenow, the taxi and minicab app, is offering to cover the cost of studying The Knowledge – which requires drivers to memorise thousands of roads and routes within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross, including hospitals, nightclubs and theatres.

More than 820 drivers have applied and about 550 have met the “eligibility criteria”. Of these, 181 have enrolled with training schools.

Normally it takes several years to complete The Knowledge, at a cost of £4,000 to £5,000. But Freenow will cover 100 per cent of the application cost, tuition fee, exams and licensing over two years for minicab drivers already using its app.

It has bulk-bought places with two taxi driver schools, Knowledge Point School and WizAnn Knowledge School, meaning it is investing more than £2,000 per training place.

Minicab drivers working for rivals such as Uber can sign up for the courses by undertaking 100 trips on the Freenow app and gaining a rating of at least 4.6 – which Freenow believes can be done in a fortnight.

Mariusz Zabrocki, general manager at Freenow UK, told the Standard: “This is the biggest recruitment push since preparations for the Olympics. We have 181 people within one month enrolling into the schools, with hundreds of other pending. Nothing like that has happened since 2012.”

He said the initiative was seeking to overcome the two main barriers to becoming a taxi driver – the cost of doing The Knowledge and the time involved.

“PHV (private hire vehicle/minicab) drivers already have a lot of street knowledge,” he said. “That is the reason we decided to support PHV drivers specifically – they have already done half of the work.

“They are already on the streets. They know the main landmarks. They’re already halfway to get The Knowledge. We believe they can complete the course within two years or less. That is why we are targeting the 20,000 drivers who are on the Freenow app.

“Uber drivers can join and enrol in our programme. I would encourage every PHV driver, if this is their career choice, to sign up.

“It will mean a pretty big boost to their earnings and a pretty big boost to their social status. Let’s be honest – being a black cab driver is way more prestigious than most jobs, not just being a PHV driver.”

Drivers signing up for the free tuition are required to keep working for Freenow during their training, but this obligation ends when they complete the course.

Freenow is a partnership between Mercedes and BMW. It is a sponsor of Luton Town FC.

“We believe we are so attractive to drivers that they will want to drive for us, Mr Zabrocki said. “We are the biggest black cab app on the market and we provide drivers with the most trips.”

Latest figures from TfL show there were 17,673 licensed taxi drivers in December – down almost 2,000 on a year ago. There were a total of 14,755 taxis licensed – up almost 800 on 2021/22.

By comparison, there were 99,937 minicab drivers – the first time the number has fallen below six figures since 2015 – and 80,857 minicabs.

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, said: “It’s positive to see the number of applicants looking to study the Knowledge increasing in recent months.

“London’s licensed taxi drivers are experiencing high demand for their services and the trade is thriving, so it’s no surprise that numbers on the Knowledge are up.

“We welcome initiatives aimed at encouraging people who are willing to do the hard work required to complete the Knowledge, to uphold our gold standard and join the ranks of the world’s best taxi service.”

TfL’s new taxi strategy is expected to include recommendations on how to replace drivers reaching retirement age and continue the roll-out of “zero emission capable” taxis.

More than half of London cabs can operate on electric power but there are concerns that the cost of a new vehicle – up to £100,000 once the costs of financing a loan are added – are prohibitive.

Caroline Pidgeon, a Lib-Dem member of the London Assembly, said: “Given the uncertainty and challenging conditions faced by the industry, I am glad the mayor has agreed to my calls for a roundtable with the taxi industry, including the various taxi apps, to help shape a new strategy and action plan to help our iconic black taxi service continue to serve London.”

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IDFIMH

Funny one, this. Can't be bothered looking into the detail, but at face value this offer seems a tad over-generous.

Presumably FreeNow hopes that it will get lots of PHV drivers signing up to its app.

But if they do pass the KoL then that would hardly help FreeNow retain their services, I'd guess

It is a good deal, but no one in the taxi/PH trade does anything for love.

Those who sign up will have to, indirectly, commit to the app firm. That commitment, in itself, defo has value for the firm.

And should those drivers gain the knowledge many of them, IMO most of them, will still use the app in the years to come.

Personally, I think it's a very sound investment.

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IDFIMH

Addy Lee getting in on the act now.

Still don't get this, although reading the stuff below in the round reads more like a more normal recruitment pitch for Addy Lee drivers. Maybe AL hopes that it'll get drivers signing up to drive for them, and the huge drop out rate for the Knowledge of London means that they'll be stuck as long-term AL drivers


Addison Lee, London’s largest private hire and taxi firm, has today announced a new partnership with the WizAnn Knowledge School to safeguard the future of the black taxi industry, and support drivers looking to establish a successful career in the field.

https://bmmagazine.co.uk/in-business/ad ... nitiative/

The number of black taxi drivers licensed by TfL has faced a steady decline in recent years, with latest figures showing just 17,625 taxi driver licenses in the capital1. Joint forces have been contributing to the ongoing workforce decline, such as the pandemic and the extensive training required.

To help address this shortage, and ensure Londoners have ongoing access to all forms of reliable transport, Addison Lee has partnered with the WizAnn Knowledge School, to provide private hire drivers with the Knowledge training at a discounted rate.

To become a black taxi driver, applicants must pass ‘the Knowledge’, learning every road within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross. This process typically takes up to 4 years and has the potential to deter new recruits looking to kickstart both their career and their earnings.

Addison Lee’s partnership with WizAnn aims to tackle this challenge, by giving drivers the opportunity to ‘earn while they learn’ and is open to existing Addison Lee drivers and private hire drivers interested in pursuing a career with the firm.

With the private hire industry continuing to surge across London – with new figures showing 106,538 private hire driver licenses2 – there is a growing opportunity to support these drivers to pursue long-term, fruitful careers in the black taxi industry.

The firm will be delivering the Knowledge training for private hire drivers at its West Drayton Fleet Hub, and all materials – from training documents to videos, and a 24-hour support group – is being provided at a discounted rate, laddering up to no costs for drivers in the fourth year.

Liam Griffin, CEO of Addison Lee, commented: “Operating in the capital for over 50 years, we share our strong London heritage with the Hackney Carriage industry, alongside a shared passion for providing drivers with fulfilling and fruitful careers.

But we’re not naive to the challenges, and we know that if we want to see the black taxi thrive, we must provide drivers with the right support and benefits to encourage them into the field. We hope our partnership will spur a positive change for the industry and uphold the rich cultural significance of London’s iconic black taxis.”

With a full suite of services and owned vehicles, Addison Lee offers a clear career path for drivers unlike other operators in the city. With its courier, standard, executive, and black taxi fleet on its platform, the firm is able to provide drivers with career development, supporting them with their next move and progression.

Drivers with Addison Lee also benefit from a leading driver package, including a contributory pension scheme, sick pay, holiday pay, vehicle maintenance, and the AL Rewards package, providing drivers with financial, physical and mental wellbeing support.

Dean Warrington, Founder of WizAnn Knowledge School, added: “We are excited to collaborate with Addison Lee in this initiative to empower more drivers to embark on the Knowledge journey. Our comprehensive training programme, combined with Addison Lee’s support, will create a pathway for aspiring black taxi drivers to thrive in their career.”

Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, commented: “There is a growing demand for the high-quality, safe, and reliable service that London’s licensed taxis provide, and in recent months we’ve seen a welcome increase in the number of applicants to study the Knowledge.

“We welcome important initiatives such as this one, which will encourage more people willing to do the hard work required to complete the Knowledge to join the ranks of the world’s best taxi service and to uphold our gold standard. This is vital to ensure the longevity of London’s iconic black taxis.”

Not sure all these free schools are going to work out in the long run.

The only way black cab driver numbers are going to increase is, sadly, by diluting the knowledge.

Might not happen for a year or two, but I think it's going to have to happen.

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IDFIMH