The city knowledge behind London’s black taxi tradition.
London is a city of interconnected streets, historic landmarks, busy business districts and constantly changing road conditions.
The Knowledge of London is the demanding training and assessment process associated with becoming a licensed London taxi driver. It develops detailed understanding of routes and places across the driver’s licensed area.
For passengers, it represents the preparation behind one of the capital’s most recognisable services.
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The Knowledge is one of the capital’s most recognisable traditions. Here is what it involves and why it matters when you travel.
Learning the Knowledge involves studying streets, routes and destinations, followed by assessments that test a candidate’s ability to navigate London.
For the All London qualification, the Blue Book contains 320 routes within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross. Candidates also learn surrounding roads and landmarks, with further suburban route assessment.
TfL describes the process as typically taking three to four years to master. See the stages in detail.
Executive journeys often involve more than travelling between two postcodes.
A booking might begin at a particular hotel entrance, continue to a City office and finish at a venue with restricted access. Familiarity with London helps a driver understand the destinations and consider practical routes between them.
For passengers travelling to meetings or welcoming business guests, this local understanding is part of the value of choosing a London black taxi. See our corporate accounts.
Crown welcomes enquiries for journeys connecting London’s business and visitor destinations, including Canary Wharf, the City, Westminster, Mayfair and the West End.
Provide the building name, full address and any entrance instructions when booking. Detailed information helps us agree clear collection arrangements.
London’s roads change through traffic, closures and temporary restrictions.
Route knowledge supports informed decisions, while current conditions must also be considered. No driver can guarantee an exact journey time or remove the possibility of delays.
Meet the vehicles on our fleet page, or arrange an airport transfer.
Becoming a licensed London taxi driver is a long process of study and examination run by Transport for London. This is how TfL describes it.
Candidates work from TfL’s Blue Book, which lists 320 routes (known as “runs”). Together they cover the area within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross, around 113 square miles.
It is not only the routes. Candidates also learn the roads and landmarks within a quarter-mile of the start and end points of each route, plus a list of points of interest.
The aim is to be able to take a passenger between any two points in London by the shortest practical route.
Before receiving the introductory pack, applicants must pass TfL’s character and medical checks. TfL then runs an introductory talk for new candidates.
After the first 80 runs, candidates can take a self-assessment. It has to be taken within six months of starting and is a check of progress rather than a scored exam.
The first formal test is a written, multiple-choice exam. The pass mark is 60%.
It includes questions on points of interest as well as route knowledge, so candidates need more than the runs alone.
Stages 3 to 5 are one-to-one “appearances” with a TfL examiner. Each usually consists of four questions about the shortest route between two points in London, and answers are graded from A to D.
The gaps between appearances shorten as candidates progress: around 56 days at Stage 3, 28 days at Stage 4 and 21 days at Stage 5. The first appearance lasts about 30 minutes, with later ones around 20 minutes.
Candidates must score enough points at each stage to move on, so many attend a large number of appearances over the course of the process.
Stage 6 adds further routes covering London’s suburbs. It is normally taken around six weeks after the final Stage 5 appearance.
Completing all seven stages is what allows a candidate to make the final application for a licence.
TfL’s current taxi driver handbook says applicants must also pass the safety, equality and regulatory understanding (SERU) assessment, which they are invited to take towards the end of the Knowledge, and complete TfL’s safeguarding awareness training.
Licensing also involves checks on character and medical fitness. Requirements can change, so TfL’s website is the place to confirm the current position.
Successful All London candidates are given a green badge. All London drivers can ply for hire anywhere in the Greater London Authority area.
They have learned the full Knowledge: the 320 routes within six miles of Charing Cross, plus the suburban routes. At Heathrow, TfL’s handbook notes that licensed All London drivers are the only drivers allowed to ply for hire and use the airport’s taxi ranks.
Successful Suburban candidates receive a yellow badge. Suburban drivers can ply for hire in one of nine suburban sectors.
They learn the routes for their chosen sector rather than the full All London Knowledge, and must keep to the sector they are licensed for.
It forms part of London taxi driver licensing. All London and suburban taxi licences have different geographical scopes.
TfL says mastering the Knowledge typically takes students three to four years. The time varies with how much time each candidate can commit.
A Green Badge (All London) driver can ply for hire anywhere in the Greater London Authority area. A Yellow Badge (Suburban) driver can ply for hire in one of nine suburban sectors.
No. Traffic and restrictions affect travel times. Local knowledge helps drivers assess available routes.
Yes. Send your destination to Crown for an availability and journey suitability check.
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