What do London cabbies have to learn?

A taxicab-driver must learn these routes, as well as the points of interest along and within 1/2 mile (0.80 km) of each end of those routes including streets, squares, clubs, hospitals, hotels, theatres, embassies, government and public buildings, railway stations, police stations, courts, diplomatic buildings, ...



To earn a "Green Badge" in 2026, London taxi drivers must master "The Knowledge," arguably the world's most difficult memory test. They must memorize 320 standard routes (runs) within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross, including over 25,000 streets and approximately 20,000 landmarks or "points of interest" (hotels, hospitals, theaters, and even small statues). This process typically takes three to four years of study, often done on a motor scooter with a clipboard. In 2026, the testing process includes a series of "Appearances"—one-on-one oral exams where they must recite the shortest route between two points without looking at a map. Despite the prevalence of GPS, "The Knowledge" remains a mandatory requirement because a licensed cabbie is expected to navigate through road closures and traffic instantly, providing a level of human intuition and city expertise that modern algorithms still cannot fully replicate.

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An Uber driver just needs a phone. Better than GPS.

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The Knowledge of London test is renowned around the world for being one of, if not the, hardest taxi knowledge test in existence. Often referred to as simply, 'The Knowledge' aspiring London cabbies can expect to spend around 3-4 years of study before being able to pass the test.

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London taxi drivers are licensed and must have passed an extensive training course (the Knowledge). Unlike many other cities, the number of taxicab drivers in London is not limited.

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And a cab driver in London is required to know the quickest way off by heart. That is because they know the center of the British capital; they'll have committed 320 runs across 25,000 streets, encompassing at least 20,000 landmarks, to memory.

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The average london taxi driver salary in the United Kingdom is £39,000 per year or £20 per hour.

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Getting a Hackney cab licence requires passing a test known as the Knowledge. This has been in place since 1865 and takes 3 to 4 years to pass. Anyone who drives a London cab will have had to memorise 20,000 landmarks and 25,000 streets in the city. This makes becoming a London cab driver a daunting task.

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And a cab driver in London is required to know the quickest way off by heart. That is because they know the center of the British capital; they'll have committed 320 runs across 25,000 streets, encompassing at least 20,000 landmarks, to memory.

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Taxi drivers, as well as other professional drivers categories, may experience genitourinary disturbances such as voiding dysfunction, urinary infections but also infertility, urolithiasis, bladder cancer, also called “taxi cab syndrome”[13].

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According to the National Careers Service, an experienced taxi driver working around 40 hours a week might expect to make around £30,000 per year. As a one-person business, it's largely down to you. If you're prepared to put in the hours and work at anti-social times, your profits could soar.

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Taxi driving is flexible and can include working evenings, overnight and bank holidays on a shift basis. This type of work has a positive job outlook, especially in big cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester where the demand for taxis is usually higher and fares are also higher.

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In other words, taxi drivers had plumper memory centers than their peers. It seemed that the longer someone had been driving a taxi, the larger his hippocampus, as though the brain expanded to accommodate the cognitive demands of navigating London's streets.

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How much does a Driver make at Uber in London, England? Average Uber Driver yearly pay in London, England is approximately £24,327, which meets the national average.

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You need to able to work legally in the UK. You need to have held a full GB, NI or EU driving licence for at least 12 months. You need to be willing to have your background checked, which may include an enhanced criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

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Drivers who own their cabs as opposed to renting from a garage are known as mushers and those who have just passed the knowledge are known as butter boys. There are currently around 21,000 black cabs in London, licensed by the Public Carriage Office.

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