The Knowledge requires London black-cab drivers to memorize the city's routes well enough to navigate without consulting a map or Google. Preparation can take years, and the qualification is judged here to be harder than some university courses. That investment helps explain resistance to competing cab firms and Uber. Black cabs could accept street hails, while minicabs had to be booked in advance by telephone. Mobile booking made the practical distinction less clear and intensified the dispute.
Notable Point · 3:48:20-3:49:33
The Knowledge behind London's black-cab institution
The demanding Knowledge examination explains black-cab drivers' distinctive expertise and their traditional right to accept street hails.