Taxi driver exam bans GPS and requires memorization of 320 routes in London; Rigor of the test ensures the survival of the category against robotaxis
A candidate interested in becoming a driver for London’s iconic taxis showed determination: the man, Anshu Moorjani, finally achieved his goal after five years of study and 55 failures, winning the disputed license to drive one of the cars. It is proof that reflects reality: while app drivers rely entirely on smartphones and GPS, the official taxi drivers of the British capital are strictly forbidden to use any navigation technology. The requirement is categorical: they need to memorize the complex map of one of the largest metropolises in Europe.
Passing the exam in May 2026, Moorjani revealed to the press that he refused to take the easiest and fastest route of working for Uber. His choice was driven by the undeniable prestige that the traditional function still carries in British society.
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The evaluation process is divided into six phases, starting with medical and background examinations, followed by a written test. The most feared stage, however, are the three oral and face-to-face hearings with the examiners. In them, the candidate has only a few seconds to describe the shortest and most efficient path between two points in the British capital, speaking the route. If it fails, the re-examination takes place in time windows ranging from 21 to 56 days.
The level of demand for the test is so high that medical studies have proven that London taxi drivers develop the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory, significantly more than the average population. All this rigor converts into a deep confidence of the London public in the famous black cabs. In addition, the arrival of new professionals is celebrated by the authorities, as the fleet has lost 10,000 drivers in recent years.
