If you have ever been to London and booked a private minicab or a Black cab, you must be amazed by the exceptional road mapping skills of your taxi driver. The taxi cabs throughout the UK are regulated but London cabs are more special.

London road map and the licensed cab drivers

The street geography of London is much complicated than any other city. It is so complex that it looks someone has dropped a pot of spaghetti on the floor.

Though the city has developed on the banks of River Thames, it is not like Manhattan or New York. Its urban planning has occurred in fits and as the city has expanded over time, filling in more and more people, the capital is just developed not planned. However, it is the beauty of London and one of the many things that make the nation’s capital different.

The maze is good to stroll but when you want to reach your destination quickly, the lack of knowledge about the streets and the possible traffic jam feels frustrating. That is when you need an experienced, licensed London taxi driver. These cabbies are as famous as the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. They are well-equipped at finding the quickest routes to reach your destination despite the congested and chaotic streets of the city or the distant suburbs. They don’t need any satnav to find the best routes because they have excelled ‘The Knowledge’ test.

The test that includes learning more than 25,000 streets, 320 routes and almost 20,000 landmarks; all spread in just 600 miles.

This historic test that started in 1851 is the milestone to become a cabbie in London. Whether the Hackney carriage or the private hire cabs, drivers required to pass the test to get the taxi driving license. You would wonder that despite its complex structuring, the drivers in the city never want to replace it.

Green or Yellow Badge

This iconic test cements the entire roadmap into a cabbie’s brain. So whether you book an airport transfer from Gatwick to London or wish to quickly escape the urban jungle, a licensed driver can do it better than a GPS.

The test is divided into two parts. Green Badge driver or the All London driver is the one who gets the license to drive anywhere in Greater London area. Contrary to it, the Yellow Badge driver or the suburban driver has to choose one of the nine suburban sectors to work in. These drivers have to learn lesser routes and landmarks but they can work only in the specified area.

Conclusion

So next time when you look for a taxi from Heathrow to London, check if the driver has cleared the test. However, when booking minicab transfers through Cabhit, you will always have a professional, licensed driver to ensure your journey is relaxed and faster.