Cab drivers have protested against plans to give help to women and ethnic minorities entering the profession.
They said moves to offer language, numeracy and childcare support for those taking the Knowledge exam was preferential treatment.
But supporters of the scheme, supported by the London Development Agency (LDA), said greater diversity was in the long-term interests of the profession.
Members of the London Cab Drivers' Club (LCDC) demonstrated outside the LDA.
The Knowledge, introduced in 1865, involves remembering every street within six miles of Charing Cross and takes up to three years to attain.
'Backward approach'
"Most people have had to do the Knowledge in their own way," said Alan Fleming, from the LCDC.
"A lot of people have actually done it while looking after a family or paying their mortgage. I think it's quite an unfair system that certain parties should be singled out for preferential treatment which is what this is all about."
Mr Fleming also labelled the scheme "patronising" towards the groups it was actually trying to target.
Official figures show that only 5% of London's black cab drivers are from ethnic minority communities, and 1.6% are women.
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, accused the LCDC of demonstrating a "consistently backward and short-sighted approach" to improving the taxi trade.
"The project simply aims to support people from communities that are under-represented in the industry, as they undertake the arduous Knowledge process, so that over time London will have a taxi trade that looks more like its population," he said.
"This will make London an even more attractive place to companies around the world whose business we wish to attract."
He insisted there would be no compromise over the knowledge qualification process which would remain vigorous.
Your views
I am sick to death with the hypocrisy and blatent discrimination shown by our London mayor yet again. I am a white disabled taxi driver who after writing to the major many times asking for help to get a cab with an adaption so I could do my driving test was total ignore ending up having to get my sister to be a guarantee on a loan so I could buy a cab and be able to take my driving test, you wont believe the problems and stress this cause. I am a family man with young children and never received any help what so ever from TFL after being assured when signing up to the knowledge this would not be a problem.
Gary Hooker
If they want more women to drive black cabs, they best change the attitudes of the men likely to us them! As a woman I would never in a million years consider driving a cab, firstly because men are often rude and abusive (and that's before they're drunk) and secondly, did you know the statistic that one in five women are raped or sexually abused some time in their lives? Why put ourselves into situations where we are likely to be alone with men? I do however realise that the majority of these incidents are from a man known to the victim, but why raise the chance, and perhaps then the prevalence, for stranger attacks against women. If and when men have a decent amount of respect for women (and that means all men), they can try again.
Lil
I welcome the Mayor's initiative to encourage women & ethic minorities to become black cab drivers.
As a black woman my experience of hailing a black cab has been 50/50. As such, I have been inclined to use mini cabs, rather than black cabs.
In my experience of use black cabs, at its best, the service has been excellent. At its worse, I have been sexually propositioned and I have been racially discriminated against, with cab drivers failing to stop for me, even though it was safe to do so. Consequently, that sort of discrimination has played its part in making me late for meetings.
On a number of occasions, white male black cab drivers with their ‘for hire’ lights on have driven past me, despite the fact I was conspicuously trying to hail them. Once one my birthday, no less than 6 black cabs refused to stop for me as I stood on Muswell Hill Broadway trying to flag down a cab. One even doubled back on me and gave me 'the finger'.
Miss V Marshall
I am a young white male, very poor earning under £10,000 a year & dyslexic, born and lived in London all my life. I have been doing the Knowledge of London (Green Badge) for 5 years part-time because having to work to pay for study materials, Moped, fuel etc… plus look after my 4 year old daughter all without any help or benefits. I feel it’s very racialist against people have put blood sweat and tears into a trade to be told if I was a different colour or background I would have had financial and educational help.
Kevin Taylor
I really wish the Mayor would stop playing the “race card” and do something constructive for a change.
Roy Addis
I come from a white working class family and five years ago my father took the knowledge. My mother had to start work to support our family while my father worked tirelessly for almost two years to pass the knowledge. Why shouldn't everyone be entitled to the same benefits, why is an ethnic minority disadvantaged family more deserving than a white disadvantage family? As your presenter rightly pointed out; this support is for poor families as long as the trainee cab driver isn't white or male, which is simply inverse racism at work.
G Barber
My husband spent 3 long years driving round the streets of London doing the Knowledge, out in all weather he was sometimes soaked to the skin and in winter he was so frozen with cold he could hardly move by the time he came home. He was out of work and couldn't claim benefit because by doing the Knowledge he was deemed to be not in the process of seeking work.
We were managing on very little money, with two young children but my husband kept at it until he got his badge. Now he works all hours to make a decent living, because he is self-employed he gets no proper sick pay or holiday pay. A new taxi will cost upwards of £32,000 and will constantly cost money to keep on the road. Breakdowns, regular servicing and yearly overhauls [which cost upwards of £1000 each time] also take their toll on your pocket. The job is no picnic driving around in London, the traffice is a nightmare and the public are usually rude, argumentative, drunk, on drugs or downright violent.
It makes me sick to my stomach when I think how we suffered for 3 long years with no proper help, apart from our family, and now they are trying to make it easier for women and ethnic minorities to do the Knowledge. How dare they insult all the cab drivers who have gone before. If these people really wanted to do the Knowledge they would do it irrespective of any incentives. The reason they don't bother at the moment is precisely because of the reasons I have listed above, not to mention that with most of them it is better to sit in a nice warm home claiming benefits than to actually get up off your backside and do a hard days work. Mind you it's not surprising that red Ken has come up with this idea, he hates cab drivers and has done everything he possibly can to undermine the "London institution" which is the London Cabbie.
Sandra
I'm a 26 year old Knowledge student, and have been driving around the streets of London for over a year.
There are only three groups which the Knowledge discriminates against:
1) Those with a criminal record
2) Those who are under the age limit
3) Those who do not pass the medical
Apart from that, ANYONE is permitted to apply. As long as you keep at and persevere (which is not always easy), you will eventually pass. In fact, it is one of the fairest career paths in the country.
The scheme is dangerous and irresponsible. All it will lead to is anger, mistrust and resentment. It is also deeply unfair of those cabbies from minorities who have been doing the job for years- they will end up being tarred with the same brush.
A few years ago, I was considering going into teaching. Whilst at university, I saw a poster for an open day encouraging people to go into that profession; an opportunity to meet teachers and gain advice and information. As I read on, I realised that it was for minority groups only. So the Knowledge scheme is not the first time I've been discriminated against for the colour of my skin.
Any type of discrimination is wrong, and the idea that you can place the word "positive" in front of it disgusts me.
As a footnote, I was born in the London Borough of
Brent- where the white population are in a minority!
Rob
I believe it is wrong to assist any sex or minority to enable them to be black cab drivers. They are a class of their own, London's pride. I admire holders of the Knowledge it is a badge of respect - anybody that deserves to attain it should do so because they want to not because they qualify for extra assistance.
If there is to be help of any sort it should be there for all
Dennis Blackmore
I have just watched the lunchtime news concerning the decision to give help, financial support and assistance to ethnic minorities and women wishing to do the london knowledge. I think it entirely unfair that they should be given prefential treatment in this manner whereas my husband, a white male was given no assistance whatsoever.
My husband started to undertake the knowledge some time ago now, the same of which takes about 3-4 years full time to complete. He was not working for 18 months whilst doing his knowledge, and so i was supporting us financially whilst he did this as it was something that he had always wanted to do. After about 18 months of him doing this full time travelling to and from london and going on appearances, I became pregnant and did not return to work immediately after having our first child. Therefore my husband had to put the knowledge on hold and find a job to support us, he started working for a local mini cab firm. With the demands financially of mortgage and bills etc, he was never able to pick up with the knowledge and continue his dream as we had no support or assistance whilst he was studying, he is now, 10 years later still working for a local mini cab firm as we could never afford for him to continue his knowledge.
It therefore seems entirely unfair to us that anyone else regardless of colour or background should receive help and assistance and be fast tracked to completing the knowledge. Surely the same rules should apply to all,
Karen Bickerstaff
Brentwood
Its an absolute disgrace!!!
If there is to be help for disadvantaged people to get into black cabby-ing, there should be help for people from all racial backgrounds and both sexes, including white males. The nature of the help was not detailed on your show really, but I presume its financial. There is no indication if it will be means tested but I sincerely hope that it will be.
If there are, indeed, barriers in the profession to blacks and females, then the governing body for black cabs should make sure they are removed internally from the testing process rather than make special entry level concessions for certain types of person. Maybe special advertising aimed at these groups is the answer rather than helping individuals. If the only barrier to entry is deemed to be financial, then it is blatant discrimination against white males not to allow them the same participation in any available benefits.
60/70% of licensed cabbies were alleged on the show to be black people, although that is not my experience as a Londoner – to me it feels like 60/70% of unlicensed “dodgy” cabs are driven by black people, and there is probably an even mix or less than 50% for licensed cabs. But taking the “Knowledge” is evidently extremely tough to do, and it is my guess that mini cab drivers (of whatever race) just don’t have the dedication/staying power/intelligence to do the revision or the many tests and exams, which is why they choose the easy option of mini-cabbing in the first place. Women have an added issue in relation to safety, and I am sure that this will continue to be a barrier to them rushing to be black (or mini) cab drivers despite any sort of financial assistance at the outset – there is no obvious solution either. Just part of being a lady!
I am not a cabbie myself – I’m a 34 year old white, female solicitor at a city law firm, who has taken numerous black cabs home from work in the early hours of the morning as well as at other times.
The proposals, as far as they have been reported on your show, are nothing more than racism and sex discrimination against white males. I am not a specialist in that area of the law unfortunately, but I sincerely hope that someone stands up to offer this group help with a view to bring a claim for racism and sexism against the proposals.
I have never written in to anything like this before but the proposals are so outrageous I wanted to air my views! I hope you pass comments on to Ken Livingstone and those leading the proposals, as well as the protesting cabbies.
Catherine Meek
The Mayor's interference in the recruiting of cab drivers in London is shameless politicking. He and henchman Lee Jasper can't see a bandwagon, let alone a cab, without wanting to jump aboard...
especially if "racism" is perceived for their purposes.
What jobs have these people ever had in their lives in the world they seek to mould in pursuit of their own impatient (and impertinent) dogma?
Mark Newberry
About time too!! Now I'll be able to flag down a black cab that will actually stop and pick me up. I rest my case!
Horgen Blaise
This is yet another example of Ken Livingstone's bigotry against the indigenous Anglo Celtic population of the UK. There is no discrimination against them that he will not support. They have no right of inheritance and any advantage they may have trough their culture and background must be removed.
A foreign ethnic background can help you open a restaurant, but your indigenous ethnic background cannot help you become a cab driver. London’s black cab drivers are a cultural artefact, but because it is part of our indigenous culture it is of no value to Ken.
Does Ken want to have a quota of Anglo Celtic people working in Indian restaurants?
Charles Efford
If there are people who would like to be cabbies but require a little help with things like childcare etc. it seems reasonable to provide that support.
However, restricting that support to particular ethnicities or to women only is, by definition, racist and sexist respectively.
It's all very well that white males might not be as likely to need this service but some may and by excluding them, the policy is unfair, divisive and I would hope, ilegal!
There is no such thing as positive discrimination - policy is simply 'fair' or 'unfair' and if it's unfair it will cause more problems in the long run.
Graham MacMahon
I think it is just another case of political correctness and equality being the total opposite. its a disgrace to the white working class being put further back in the queue whenever there is anything available.
Cain Farrell
What a total and utter waste of time and money - our money (the London taxpayers) and the mayoral office's time. Yet again we see Ken Livingstone pushing through blatantly sexist and racist schemes in order to satisfy his own personal agenda. Giving subsidies to women and ethnic minorities is blatantly unfair on white males. If women and ethnic minority groups are that bothered about becoming taxi drivers they do it the same way as everyone else has to - no-one's stopping them after all.
Livingstone's not interested in Londoners - he's interested in everyone else at the expense of Londoners.
Mrs Harris
We are very proud of our Black Cab drivers because we know that in order to become a Black Cab driver they would have completed the knowledge which is extremely difficult and can take several years. Why therefore, should it be made easier for certain minorities of people. Anyone is able to take the knowledge, that has always been the case, but only the drivers good enough will pass. No-one should be given a leg up, that is simply not fair.
Becky Pool
I am a female Knowledge student and I am horrifed by the new initiative. If and when I get my badge my credibility would have been ruined by this scheme. I will always wonder if male cab drivers think I had an unfair advantage. I wish to earn my badge on a level playing field truly equal to male cab drivers and not treated as a feeble female unable to achieve it without a helping hand.
If women want to be London cab drivers, there is nothing stopping them under the existing system.
Juliet Balaam
Its a total disgrace. I'm studying the Knowledge and I now know, that in reality, the bar will be lowered for ethnic people and women.
If people want to become licensed taxi drivers shouldn't they go through the same difficulties and protocal as i have to.
People will inadvertently be helped through from the afforementioned communities and make it even harder for candidates like myself.
Being a white male is obviously a huge handicap these days.
What ever happened to "the best person for the job" ethos.
Richie Boy
I have just watched Your London on the BBC news and felt compelled to email. This is just typical of society today – the average white male is the most oppressed person in his own country. Think of how many do-gooders would come out in arms if there was a preferential scheme to help white men; no this would be classed as racist and appalling. We bend over too much now to be politically correct and culture friendly – well done to the black cab drivers and Livingstone should stick it where the sun doesn’t shine !!
Richard R
I think it is unfair that ethnic minorities and women should get more assistance so that they can become cab drivers. Everyone is equal, therefore everybody should be treated equally, lets stop being so PC!
Tom, Feltham
Your report on the lunch time news didn't even mention that one of the reasons we need women taxi drivers is because we !women! are only able to travel with female drivers. But ask some of those male shamanists, how many of them travel with satnavs hidden in the front of the cab. or how many of them refuse to cross the river south when a woman needs to get home.
Diane Benjamin
