To become a Licenced Taxidriver or do the ‘Knowledge’ as it is more commonly known, you must first apply to the Public Carriage Office (PCO) the taxidriver licensing authority for Transport for London (TfL).

To be eligible to undertake the knowledge you must fulfil the following requirements:

1. Be 18 years of age or over - there is no upper age limit
2. Be of good character;
3. Be both medically and mentally fit.

Once your application has been accepted, you will be called up to the Public Carriage Office for an initial talk given by an examiner' - (green badge only) from which you will learn that you are required to develop a detailed knowledge of the streets and buildings within a 6 mile radius of Charing Cross based upon 320 prescribed routes commonly known as Blue Book Runs. This is when you need to visit Knowledge Point School to learn the best way to get started and how to tackle the Blue Book Runs.

You will be required to undertake 2 written tests followed by a series of progressive oral examinations based on the 320 Blue Book Runs plus a further 25 Suburban Runs. Toward the end of this process you will be required to pass a Driving Standards Agency taxi driving test.

The knowledge takes on average 3 years to complete, dependent upon how much time and effort you can put in and trainees must be prepared to finance themselves through the process. Expenses to be incurred will be cost of a moped, training material school fees, taxi driving tuition and test fees plus other miscellaneous expenses

It is hard work and requires time, dedication and good training and should not be undertaken lightly.