London cabs voted world’s best, again; NY cabbies grab the No. 2 spot

June 4, 2009 at 2:28 pm

(Source: NY Times)

London taxicabs were ranked the best in the world in a survey conducted by the travel site Hotels.com. Voters thought London cabbies were the friendliest, safest and had the best knowledge of their city.  But like many things in this world, you get what you pay for. London cabbies were also considered to be the most expensive.

New York cabbies fared well — they came in second in the “best in the world” and city-knowledge categories — but voters found New York cabbies to be the worst drivers.

The survey was conducted among 1,400 travelers from several European countries in May. Last year, London cabbies also topped the voting.

London cabbies must undergo years of training before they get behind the wheel. The All London Knowledge (most often referred to simply as “the Knowledge”) entails a dizzying array of routes, landmarks and the quickest way point-to-point. On average, it takes three to four years for an applicant to learn the Knowledge.