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Taxi association calls for police awareness drive after Knowledge of London student reports repeated stops
- Perry Richardson
- 34 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The London Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) has called for renewed engagement with the Metropolitan Police after a Knowledge of London student reportedly experienced more than 20 police stops while training on a scooter.
The point was raised by LTDA airport representative Suzanne Sullivan, who said trainee taxi driver Hakim Mujagata had repeatedly been viewed with suspicion while travelling across London to learn routes, streets and points of interest.
Mujagata, originally from Uganda, arrived in the UK aged 17 with his brother, Bahrain, who Sullivan said became a licensed London taxi driver in March. Hakim applied to begin the Knowledge in 2024, but his application was delayed because of issues relating to his immigration status.
According to the LTDA rep in TAXI Newspaper, he was accepted onto the Knowledge in July 2025 after securing Indefinite Leave to Remain. He attended his initial talk, completed his first appearance on 7 August 2025 and received his REQ on 13 July 2026. He is now studying the suburban stage and awaiting his final examination.
Knowledge students commonly use scooters to travel across the capital while memorising routes and landmarks required to qualify as London taxi drivers. Students may carry maps, clipboards and other study materials as they build the detailed geographical knowledge required under Transport for London’s licensing process.
Sullivan said Mujagata had been stopped by police on more than 20 occasions during his studies.
The LTDA said the case illustrated a wider need to ensure police officers can recognise legitimate Knowledge students and understand why they regularly travel around London on scooters while carrying route-learning equipment. It stressed that its proposal was not intended as criticism of individual officers or the police response to scooter-enabled crime.
The association has launched an initiative supplying Knowledge students with branded high-visibility clothing, bags and identification equipment. Students are also being given a letter from the LTDA intended to explain their status to police officers if they are stopped.
The measures may help distinguish trainees from other scooter riders, but the LTDA said clothing and identification alone would not resolve the issue. It called for education and engagement with the Metropolitan Police to improve awareness of the Knowledge and the working practices of students.
For the taxi trade, this comes amid continuing concern about the number of people entering and completing the Knowledge.
The LTDA said it would welcome contact from Metropolitan Police officers interested in helping to reintroduce awareness of Knowledge students. Greater recognition, it argued, would allow genuine trainees to continue their studies while officers remain focused on people involved in criminal activity.
