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so can anyone speak to what it entails to gain a taxi license? is this a burdensome requirement on those who want to drive? I have no issue with requiring speci

so can anyone speak to what it entails to gain a taxi license? is this a burdensome requirement on those who want to drive? I have no issue with requiring specific insurance as anyone driving for any ride share service is just risking too much without proper coverage. in the US far too much occupational regulation/licensing only serves now to protect current providers effectively locking out or deterring competition.

fiatjaf 9y ago
Burdensome? Taxi licenses are limited so taxi drivers can keep their cartel against the entry of competitors. It is impossible unless you're politically connected. That's why Uber is so great: it is destroying this stupidity.
- celticninja 9y ago
  In the US perhaps, the medallion system there almost guarantees that new entrants are priced out of the market.
- gsnedders 9y ago
  Not everywhere in Europe has limits on the number of taxi licenses.
k-mcgrady 9y ago
Depends on the country probably but it can include things like: - Holding a regular driving license for n years - First aid training - Taxi specific theory/practical driving test - Passing extra vehicle tests (I know where I'm from they used to require taxis to be fitted with small fire extinguishers for example). - Background check
- rickpmg 9y ago
  I heard in London that cabbies also have to know all sorts of landmarks/touristy types of attractions by heart.
  - ForHackernews 9y ago
    The Knowledge: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/t-magazine/london-taxi-test-knowledge.html https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/t-magazine/london-taxi-te... "It has been called the hardest test, of any kind, in the world. Its rigors have been likened to those required to earn a degree in law or medicine. It is without question a unique intellectual, psychological and physical ordeal, demanding unnumbered thousands of hours of immersive study, as would-be cabbies undertake the task of committing to memory the entirety of London, and demonstrating that mastery through a progressively more difficult sequence of oral examinations — a process which, on average, takes four years to complete, and for some, much longer than that."
  - celticninja 9y ago
    It's called "the knowledge" and not only do they need to know 20,000 landmarks (things like The Royal Institution of British Architects building, which is not a very touristy landmark at all) they also need to know 20,000 streets and the best route between them. On their test they have to describe a route across London between 2 landmarks and name every road, roundabout, where they should be in the road when there are multiple lanes, one way restrictions and it has to be perfect. It's an incredibly difficult test to pass.
gsnedders 9y ago
Depends massively between EU states. Some it's relatively easy [edit: to operate as a "taxi" in a general sense, rather than the legal term], such as in the UK (pass a prolonged driving test, have commercial insurance, review of any criminal record as to whether they pose a threat to the public, though there's some variety between councils who are the licensing body especially when it comes to vehicles and equipment), others it's as bad (and expensive) as I understand many US cities to be like.
- collyw 9y ago
  Depends on the taxi service as well. Black cabs in London have a fairly tough test (the knowledge) to go through and only those can be hailed from the roadside.
- celticninja 9y ago
  Although it is not entirely that easy in the UK, if you want to be a London black can driver then it is very difficult, as well as what you already mentioned there is also "the knowledge" exam that must be passed. Which is quite possibly one of the toughest assignments I have ever witnessed.
  - gsnedders 9y ago
    Well, I was really referring to private hires here, given Uber Britannia operate as a private hire company, and private hires don't have any such requirement anywhere in the UK. Another difference taxis tend to have specific whitelisted vehicles (hence the iconic image of a black hackney cab), whereas private hires generally just need to meet some list of requirements (typically something along the lines of having at least four doors, seating at least four, etc.).
orf 9y ago
In London they have to pass a test called "the knowledge"[1]. It's the "hardest taxi test in the world" and quite impressive. It ensures taxi drivers actually know what they are doing and where they are going, not just blindly following their GPS. > To become an All-London taxi driver or Green badge holder you need to master no fewer than 320 basic routes, all of the 25,000 streets that are scattered within the basic routes and approximately 20,000 landmarks and places of public interest that are located within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross. > It takes the average person between 2 and 4 years to learn the knowledge, a lot however depends on how much time and effort they are willing to dedicate in learning it. 1. https://www.theknowledgetaxi.co.uk/ https://www.theknowledgetaxi.co.uk/
- ForHackernews 9y ago
  Not just the hardest taxi test, it's arguably the hardest test of any kind: > If anything, this description understates the case. The six-mile radius from Charing Cross, the putative center-point of London marked by an equestrian statue of King Charles I, takes in some 25,000 streets. London cabbies need to know all of those streets, and how to drive them — the direction they run, which are one-way, which are dead ends, where to enter and exit traffic circles, and so on. But cabbies also need to know everything on the streets. Examiners may ask a would-be cabbie to identify the location of any restaurant in London. Any pub, any shop, any landmark, no matter how small or obscure — all are fair game. Test-takers have been asked to name the whereabouts of flower stands, of laundromats, of commemorative plaques. One taxi driver told me that he was asked the location of a statue, just a foot tall, depicting two mice sharing a piece of cheese. It’s on the facade of a building in Philpot Lane, on the corner of Eastcheap, not far from London Bridge. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/t-magazine/london-taxi-test-knowledge.html https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/t-magazine/london-taxi-te...
- gsnedders 9y ago
  That is, however, a requirement for taxi drivers only (who can be hailed and pick up people off the street), but not for private hire drivers (who must be prebooked through a booking office). It is, perhaps, the most notable difference. London has more stringent requirements for private hires than much of the UK (especially relating to pollution), but ultimately most of the requirements essentially relate to equipment (pollution standards for the car, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, etc.) which while they form a cost to entry are nothing compared with a multi-year effort to learn a large part of London, or the tens/hundreds of thousands that medallions cost in many places.
eisa01 9y ago
Most places restrict the number of available licenses However, The EFTA surveillance authority is looking into if Norway is in breach of EU rules by restricting taxi licenses, so it could be opened up. We are governed by the same laws as the EU Uber should comply with rules, but we really need Uber and similar services I was in Paris and Barcelona last week: In Paris I could easily take an Uber and everything was a breeze In Barcelona I had to take taxis. I paid with credit card, and the drivers charged me in NOK without asking, against MasterCard rules. I even said I wanted to pay in EUR at one occasion To submit a complaint I had to fill in a paper form, and post it by mail with the original receipts. The receipts from the credit card terminal don't even have the taxi information as in Norway, so not sure they can do anything either. It's frankly ridiculous Taxi drivers in Barcelona was even on strike to protest against Cabify and Uber that want to compete on equal terms, while they are protected through draconian systems that have no accountability if you have a problem
- bogomipz 9y ago
  >"and the drivers charged me in NOK without asking, against MasterCard rules" What is NOK?
  - myhrvold 9y ago
    Norway's currency, the krone: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_krone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_krone (They are not on the Euro.)
    - bogomipz 9y ago
      Sure, the Kroner, I guess I was confused you are referring to Paris and Barcelona being a breeze in the sentence before.
kuschku 9y ago
In most parts of Germany, there’s two types of such licenses. 1. Car-With-Driver-For-Hire. This is what uber falls into. You need a drivers license that allows you to transport people, and insurance for the car that covers your commercial driving. 2. Taxi. This is what traditional taxis are, it allows you to pick up people from the street, but there are maximum rates set by the city, you need to navigate without GPS, etc. These are also restricted by amount.

fiatjaf 9y ago

Burdensome? Taxi licenses are limited so taxi drivers can keep their cartel against the entry of competitors. It is impossible unless you're politically connected. That's why Uber is so great: it is destroying this stupidity.

celticninja 9y ago
In the US perhaps, the medallion system there almost guarantees that new entrants are priced out of the market.
gsnedders 9y ago
Not everywhere in Europe has limits on the number of taxi licenses.

k-mcgrady 9y ago

Depends on the country probably but it can include things like: - Holding a regular driving license for n years - First aid training - Taxi specific theory/practical driving test - Passing extra vehicle tests (I know where I'm from they used to require taxis to be fitted with small fire extinguishers for example). - Background check

rickpmg 9y ago
I heard in London that cabbies also have to know all sorts of landmarks/touristy types of attractions by heart.
- ForHackernews 9y ago
  The Knowledge: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/t-magazine/london-taxi-test-knowledge.html https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/t-magazine/london-taxi-te... "It has been called the hardest test, of any kind, in the world. Its rigors have been likened to those required to earn a degree in law or medicine. It is without question a unique intellectual, psychological and physical ordeal, demanding unnumbered thousands of hours of immersive study, as would-be cabbies undertake the task of committing to memory the entirety of London, and demonstrating that mastery through a progressively more difficult sequence of oral examinations — a process which, on average, takes four years to complete, and for some, much longer than that."
- celticninja 9y ago
  It's called "the knowledge" and not only do they need to know 20,000 landmarks (things like The Royal Institution of British Architects building, which is not a very touristy landmark at all) they also need to know 20,000 streets and the best route between them. On their test they have to describe a route across London between 2 landmarks and name every road, roundabout, where they should be in the road when there are multiple lanes, one way restrictions and it has to be perfect. It's an incredibly difficult test to pass.

gsnedders 9y ago

Depends massively between EU states. Some it's relatively easy [edit: to operate as a "taxi" in a general sense, rather than the legal term], such as in the UK (pass a prolonged driving test, have commercial insurance, review of any criminal record as to whether they pose a threat to the public, though there's some variety between councils who are the licensing body especially when it comes to vehicles and equipment), others it's as bad (and expensive) as I understand many US cities to be like.

collyw 9y ago
Depends on the taxi service as well. Black cabs in London have a fairly tough test (the knowledge) to go through and only those can be hailed from the roadside.
celticninja 9y ago
Although it is not entirely that easy in the UK, if you want to be a London black can driver then it is very difficult, as well as what you already mentioned there is also "the knowledge" exam that must be passed. Which is quite possibly one of the toughest assignments I have ever witnessed.
- gsnedders 9y ago
  Well, I was really referring to private hires here, given Uber Britannia operate as a private hire company, and private hires don't have any such requirement anywhere in the UK. Another difference taxis tend to have specific whitelisted vehicles (hence the iconic image of a black hackney cab), whereas private hires generally just need to meet some list of requirements (typically something along the lines of having at least four doors, seating at least four, etc.).

orf 9y ago

In London they have to pass a test called "the knowledge"[1]. It's the "hardest taxi test in the world" and quite impressive. It ensures taxi drivers actually know what they are doing and where they are going, not just blindly following their GPS. > To become an All-London taxi driver or Green badge holder you need to master no fewer than 320 basic routes, all of the 25,000 streets that are scattered within the basic routes and approximately 20,000 landmarks and places of public interest that are located within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross. > It takes the average person between 2 and 4 years to learn the knowledge, a lot however depends on how much time and effort they are willing to dedicate in learning it. 1. https://www.theknowledgetaxi.co.uk/ https://www.theknowledgetaxi.co.uk/

ForHackernews 9y ago
Not just the hardest taxi test, it's arguably the hardest test of any kind: > If anything, this description understates the case. The six-mile radius from Charing Cross, the putative center-point of London marked by an equestrian statue of King Charles I, takes in some 25,000 streets. London cabbies need to know all of those streets, and how to drive them — the direction they run, which are one-way, which are dead ends, where to enter and exit traffic circles, and so on. But cabbies also need to know everything on the streets. Examiners may ask a would-be cabbie to identify the location of any restaurant in London. Any pub, any shop, any landmark, no matter how small or obscure — all are fair game. Test-takers have been asked to name the whereabouts of flower stands, of laundromats, of commemorative plaques. One taxi driver told me that he was asked the location of a statue, just a foot tall, depicting two mice sharing a piece of cheese. It’s on the facade of a building in Philpot Lane, on the corner of Eastcheap, not far from London Bridge. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/t-magazine/london-taxi-test-knowledge.html https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/t-magazine/london-taxi-te...
gsnedders 9y ago
That is, however, a requirement for taxi drivers only (who can be hailed and pick up people off the street), but not for private hire drivers (who must be prebooked through a booking office). It is, perhaps, the most notable difference. London has more stringent requirements for private hires than much of the UK (especially relating to pollution), but ultimately most of the requirements essentially relate to equipment (pollution standards for the car, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, etc.) which while they form a cost to entry are nothing compared with a multi-year effort to learn a large part of London, or the tens/hundreds of thousands that medallions cost in many places.

eisa01 9y ago

Most places restrict the number of available licenses However, The EFTA surveillance authority is looking into if Norway is in breach of EU rules by restricting taxi licenses, so it could be opened up. We are governed by the same laws as the EU Uber should comply with rules, but we really need Uber and similar services I was in Paris and Barcelona last week: In Paris I could easily take an Uber and everything was a breeze In Barcelona I had to take taxis. I paid with credit card, and the drivers charged me in NOK without asking, against MasterCard rules. I even said I wanted to pay in EUR at one occasion To submit a complaint I had to fill in a paper form, and post it by mail with the original receipts. The receipts from the credit card terminal don't even have the taxi information as in Norway, so not sure they can do anything either. It's frankly ridiculous Taxi drivers in Barcelona was even on strike to protest against Cabify and Uber that want to compete on equal terms, while they are protected through draconian systems that have no accountability if you have a problem

bogomipz 9y ago
>"and the drivers charged me in NOK without asking, against MasterCard rules" What is NOK?
- myhrvold 9y ago
  Norway's currency, the krone: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_krone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_krone (They are not on the Euro.)
  - bogomipz 9y ago
    Sure, the Kroner, I guess I was confused you are referring to Paris and Barcelona being a breeze in the sentence before.

kuschku 9y ago

In most parts of Germany, there’s two types of such licenses. 1. Car-With-Driver-For-Hire. This is what uber falls into. You need a drivers license that allows you to transport people, and insurance for the car that covers your commercial driving. 2. Taxi. This is what traditional taxis are, it allows you to pick up people from the street, but there are maximum rates set by the city, you need to navigate without GPS, etc. These are also restricted by amount.