Before going further, and for those who don't already know my history, let me explain that I am in a unique position to see what has happened to the KOL over the past 39 years. I've done the knowledge twice. My first was in 1976 when the blue book had a pink cover with 468 (or was it 486 can never remember the exact order of the last 2 digits) when you signed on, were given a first appearance date 104 days later eventually progressing through 56, 28, 21 and 14 day Appearances until you got your Req. Suburbs took 6 weeks.
Second time I got my badge in 2004. But I was on the last of the 400 runs with a simple(r) map and written test. The talk on this was in November 2001 - I'd already started doing the runs.
That's 2 systems I've personally done. However my COP for the second time around was one of the early students on the 320 run system. I've therefore seen all 3 systems in use.
There's been some exchanges on Twitter by people claiming that the 320 system must be simpler as there's less runs. The reverse is actually true. Let's look at some long distance races. The most well know is the marathon but there's also the 5000 and 10000 metre races. Using the argument about the numbers you could say that two 5000 metre races are twice as difficult as one 10000 metre race, yet when you look at the total distance run it is exactly the same. The same is true of the latest system of the KOL. When it was revised they removed the duplications, combined several runs together and in fact added in more rums to the outer areas of the 6 mile limit. (I interviewed Mr Howell, the examiner who put all this together, for Taxi Talk magazine so my source is, I believe, the best you can get).
But - and let's make that a big BUT - in addition to lengthening the runs they also added in a tougher map/written test.
This all means that unlike the days of the pink covered blue book when you could get started in the process very quickly, the time it takes to get to the written test stage is considerable - taking a minimum of 6 months for the most determined students to well over 12 months for the average student. In fact by the time they are able to pass the map test they've probably done more than 80% of the work required to do the job competently.
It's only then that they start on Appearances. To be fair the marking system has been revised to show far more transparency than the totally dark system existing in the 70's. However the calibre of the examiners has also changed. In the 70's the examiners were nearly all retired police officers - drivers were making too much money to give their badge up to become an examiner in those days.
This meant that by and large the examiners would go out for their trips around London looking for new points once a week, but would not be seeing things on a daily basis, This meant that they would often reuse certain points and the schools would put out these points as 'bankers' that you could learn to increase your chances of scoring. This doesn't take into account the 'super' examiners such as Mr Finlay, Mr Orme,etc who could always come up with new points - there was just no way you could get past them if you really didn't know it.
Today's examiners are often working taxi drivers. They are able to combine looking for new points with work and will be ready to ask these of the students. As a quick aside the Chief Examiner, Ms Danvers, was an Examiner in the early 2000's. She appears to have an almost photographic memory and her knowledge is amongst the best ever. Trouble is she expects everyone else to be able to do the same - allegedly!
So that explains why the KOL is now tougher than ever and why it takes so long, compared with the 70's and earlier.
Yet the trade needs an influx of drivers to keep pace with the increase in demand. I know some of you will cry that there's already too many drivers, but IMHO that's not true. There are too many people offering a 'taxi type' service. I mean of course the number of PH drivers. I won't go into the whole argument about them other than to say I think it's disgraceful that the entry standards are way too low (none) and the enforcement of the PH rules is, for all practical purposes, non existent. We need taxi drivers who are hungry, or dedicated enough to be there late at night, and at weekends when the public demand is at its greatest - and the law breaking by touts is also at its greatest.
In my opinion the KOL should, for most students, take between 12 and 24 months with the average being around 18 months, the good will do it quicker while the less able will take 24 months or more.
How do we achieve this? That's an easier question to ask than answer, with no easy way to answer it without being accused of 'dumbing down' the knowledge. Incidentally most of the officers of the trade organisations who cry out 'no quickie knowledge' would have taken less than 2 years to get their badges. meaning that by today's standards their knowledge was a 'quickie'.
As I said there's no easy answer but here's some possibilities:
• 1. Reduce the intensity of the written test - provide a set of maps, etc that have to be learned but only with really major points such as Buckingham Palace on them
• 2. Increase the frequency of Appearances. If this means recruiting new Examiners then so be it.
• 3. Re-introduce the 14 day Appearances. This gives Examiners more time to see the progress students are making
• 4. No more red lining. The current situation means that students must get 12 points in 7 Appearances to progress or they get put back to the previous stage. Remove the 7 Appearances so that students can carry on until they get the 12 points - if they're not good enough they simply won't get the marks so there's nothing lost but for the student who has just missed out this will mean that they no longer suffer the devastating blow to their confidence a red line gives, and would make faster progress.
• 5. Return to a max 6 weeks for suburbs. The Examiners must realise that in today's world many drivers already use electronic aids when in the outer areas but they should still prove they know how to get to the area.
I leave other possibilities for you to decide.
To sum up. Making the knowledge quicker, Dumbing down? No, but making it a greater incentive for people to become fully qualified taxi drivers.
I now await the flack
Today's examiners are often working taxi drivers. They are able to combine looking for new points with work and will be ready to ask these of the students. As a quick aside the Chief Examiner, Ms Danvers, was an Examiner in the early 2000's. She appears to have an almost photographic memory and her knowledge is amongst the best ever. Trouble is she expects everyone else to be able to do the same - allegedly!
So that explains why the KOL is now tougher than ever and why it takes so long, compared with the 70's and earlier.
Yet the trade needs an influx of drivers to keep pace with the increase in demand. I know some of you will cry that there's already too many drivers, but IMHO that's not true. There are too many people offering a 'taxi type' service. I mean of course the number of PH drivers. I won't go into the whole argument about them other than to say I think it's disgraceful that the entry standards are way too low (none) and the enforcement of the PH rules is, for all practical purposes, non existent. We need taxi drivers who are hungry, or dedicated enough to be there late at night, and at weekends when the public demand is at its greatest - and the law breaking by touts is also at its greatest.
In my opinion the KOL should, for most students, take between 12 and 24 months with the average being around 18 months, the good will do it quicker while the less able will take 24 months or more.
How do we achieve this? That's an easier question to ask than answer, with no easy way to answer it without being accused of 'dumbing down' the knowledge. Incidentally most of the officers of the trade organisations who cry out 'no quickie knowledge' would have taken less than 2 years to get their badges. meaning that by today's standards their knowledge was a 'quickie'.
As I said there's no easy answer but here's some possibilities:
• 1. Reduce the intensity of the written test - provide a set of maps, etc that have to be learned but only with really major points such as Buckingham Palace on them
• 2. Increase the frequency of Appearances. If this means recruiting new Examiners then so be it.
• 3. Re-introduce the 14 day Appearances. This gives Examiners more time to see the progress students are making
• 4. No more red lining. The current situation means that students must get 12 points in 7 Appearances to progress or they get put back to the previous stage. Remove the 7 Appearances so that students can carry on until they get the 12 points - if they're not good enough they simply won't get the marks so there's nothing lost but for the student who has just missed out this will mean that they no longer suffer the devastating blow to their confidence a red line gives, and would make faster progress.
• 5. Return to a max 6 weeks for suburbs. The Examiners must realise that in today's world many drivers already use electronic aids when in the outer areas but they should still prove they know how to get to the area.
I leave other possibilities for you to decide.
To sum up. Making the knowledge quicker, Dumbing down? No, but making it a greater incentive for people to become fully qualified taxi drivers.
I now await the flack
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