TOM HUTLEY: Did the Knowledge of London just get EASIER?
A popular and well-known taxi driver influencer has described the changes to the Knowledge of London (KoL) testing criteria as ‘fairer and understandable’ in his latest video released.
Tom Hutley, a London taxi driver and successful YouTuber with more than 48,000 subscribers, ran through the changes brought in by Transport for London (TfL) that will affect the way students learning to become taxi drivers are tested.
The changes which have already been implemented by regulators TfL include:
Red Line update
The red line policy will be retained, however if a candidate accumulates 4 ‘D’ grades, they will revert back to the beginning of the same stage, as opposed to the start of the previous stage.
New time limits set for each stage
At the end of the time limit candidates will be required to attend a meeting with the Knowledge of London manager to discuss their progress.
Stage 3 – 3 years
Stage 4 – 2 years
Stage 5 – 1 Year.
Changes to restriction runs asked on appearances
‘No traffic light runs’ – are to be scrapped and no longer asked on appearances.
Obstacle runs (Multiple drops / road closures / LOL (leave on left) or LOR only) – to be limited to Stage 5 (21’s) only and can only be asked on a maximum of 1 run in each appearance.
Hutley’s YouTube channel has been a massive hit with viewers ever since it first launched in March 2020. The London black cab driver and qualified taxi guide completed the ‘Knowledge of London’ in 2017 after 3 years of studying. Four years into the job he now has a fast-growing channel on YouTube and has recently launched his own blog.
