Latest news with #satnav
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The Knowledge is axed in Bristol after only eight taxi drivers pass 'outdated' test
The Knowledge Test, which requires taxi drivers to learn thousands of routes across the city, has been axed in Bristol after only eight drivers managed to pass this year. First introduced in 1865, the 90-minute test ensures drivers know precise road names and locations, routes to hotels, pubs, restaurants and clubs, alongside particular places of interest. But now, city council officials have scrapped the intense exam, deeming it to be a 'significant barrier' for individuals wanting to enter the profession and arguing that increased satnav use has rendered it 'outdated'. It comes after new figures have shown that just eight of the 133 people who have taken the test this year had passed. A new report published to Bristol City Council's public safety and protection committee on June 3 said that 'concerns' had been raised regarding the ongoing relevance of the test. It added: 'All private hire journeys are pre-booked, and the vast majority of drivers rely on satellite navigation devices. 'As such the current requirement to know the location of certain premises or roads is outdated. 'The level of detailed knowledge required to pass the test is significant and represents a significant barrier to entering the trade'. In November 2023, Department for Transport guidance was updated to say that topographical knowledge was no longer necessary. It said: 'Given the availability, reliability and ease of satnav systems, licensing authorities should not require any topographical knowledge or navigational tests for private hire vehicles'. This means that applicants, who typically take up to four years to master the challenging 100 question test, will now only be quizzed on broader aspects of safety that include general road safety and child sexual exploitation. The report also recommended that the test be expanded to include a wider range of issues such as disability awareness, conflict avoidance, management of racial abuse or hate speech, alongside how best to plan routes using navigation devices. In March, it was announced by Transport for London (TFL) that changes were to be made to the 'Knowledge' test required for the capital's iconic black cabs, with fewer than 15,000 licensed taxis left across the city, down a third in a decade. Widely considered one of the world's toughest taxi tests, candidates have to memorise the city's 25,000 streets and 100,000 points of interest within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross. The change to the challenging exam was one of 14 pledges laid out in a new action plan under Transport for London in a bid to help support the struggling minicab and taxi industry over the next five years. It came after the Centre for London thinktank warned that black taxis were at risk of becoming extinct within the next 20 years without any changes to the current format. The number of licensed taxi drivers in London in February fell to a new low of just 16,816 - down nearly 10,000 in a decade from the 25,232 in 2014/15.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Frustration as lorries get stuck down Cornish lane again
Lorry drivers have been urged to "use common sense" and stop using a narrow Cornish lane after another vehicle got stuck Nicholls installed signs earlier this year after becoming fed up of lorries using satellite navigation driving down Coosebean Lane, Truro, and causing damage to trees and a stone wall when the vehicles become Mr Nicholls - who lives on the road - said drivers have ignored the signs and keep using the lane, including a 18-tonne lorry that got stuck on said local residents were "upset" and "frustrated" by the damage from the lorries and urged sat-nav using drivers to pay attention to the signs. Mr Nicholls said the area was like a "quiet oasis" which was being blighted by lorries."People use their sat-navs, and the greatest respect to people, but they don't use common sense," he said."When it gets really narrow they don't stop and think about it, they just plough on."He added: "There's a fairy trail and a lot of people walk on these quiet lanes and it's quite dangerous for the big lorries to come down." On Tuesday, Nicholls said people were out from 18:00 BST to 21:00 trying to get the lorry out and a wall was damaged by the stonemason by trade said he was happy to repair the wall but he would not be able to do it forever."In a few year's time, when I'm worn out and retired, I won't be able to do it," he said. "A lot of people are upset because of the damage to the trees and the wall because it's unique, its a herringbone wall, you don't see this very often."I think its just such a lovely, quiet little oasis, as soon as there's damage happening all the time, is very frustrating."
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Bristol taxi drivers 'no longer need' local route knowledge test
A test which requires taxi drivers to know thousands of routes in a city is being as "the knowledge", it tests them on the quickest way to get Bristol passengers to their city council figures show that only eight out of 133 people taking the test this year managed to council says the test is becoming a "barrier" to people becoming taxi drivers, and the increasing use of sat-navs means it is no longer as important. The changes will not affect "the knowledge" for drivers of hackney carriage taxis, which can be flagged down on the street, the Local Democracy Service reports. A report to Bristol City Council's public safety and protection committee said the current requirement to know the location of certain premises or roads is "outdated".The 90-minute test for private hire applicants involves 100 questions chosen randomly by a must not only achieve minimum pass marks in all 10 categories – four or five out of 10 questions in each – but also answer at least 75 questions correctly overall. Knowledge 'not required' The committee report said Department for Transport (DfT) guidance was updated in November 2023 to say topographical knowledge is not required. It said: "Given the availability, reliability and ease of use of sat-nav systems, licensing authorities should not require any topographical knowledge or navigational tests for private hire vehicle drivers."This would mean applicants no longer needing to know exact locations and routes to clubs, pubs, restaurants, hotels, places of interest or the district of a particular remaining in the test would be safety, including child sexual exploitation, general road safety and how to calculate change, policy & legislation, and report said the test should also be strengthened with a wider range of questions and topics which protect public safety, such as disability awareness, planning routes using navigation devices, conflict avoidance, and what to do if racially abused or being subjected to other abusive comments or hate speech.
