City of York Council knowledge and safeguarding test

City of York Council requires every new driver applicant to attend its Knowledge and Safeguarding training day, run by the council's Workforce Development Unit. The day ends with a written test on the topics covered, plus routes, locations and places of interest in York. You must pass before you can submit your licence application. Always check the council's website before you book, because details can change.

Test format

Item	Detail
Who	All new hackney carriage and private hire driver applicants
Format	A training day ending in a written test
Pass mark	26 correct answers
Example paper	The council's example paper has 30 questions
Attempts	Re-sit after a fail, up to a maximum of 6 tests
Results	Usually within 10 working days
Booking and fees	Through the Workforce Development Unit, which confirms the fee
Optional	A "preparing for taxi knowledge" day to help with the test, pedestrian zones and routes

Key fact: York caps you at six attempts. Use the council's example questions and route locations list to practise before the day.

What the council does not publish: the time allowed, whether the real test always has 30 questions, and the test fee (you get it from the Workforce Development Unit when you book). Besides the training topics, you must research legislation, licence conditions and byelaws, York's pedestrian zone and the geography of York yourself.

Other steps

A full UK, EC or EEA licence held for at least 12 months.
A driving assessment with Blue Lamp Trust, Green Penny or AA Drivetech (certificate valid 2 years); add the wheelchair assessment if you will drive a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
Group 2 medical by your GP, less than 6 months old; then at 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and yearly after 65.
Enhanced DBS and the Update Service (checked every 6 months). An advanced driving test and an English assessment are also part of the training requirements, with refresher training every 3 years.
Licences run for up to 3 years (grant fee £190 for a 3-year hackney licence from April 2026). Renewal papers must arrive at least two weeks before expiry.

Reporting deadlines

Event	Deadline
Arrest (charged or not), conviction, caution, summons, fixed penalty	48 hours in writing
Change of address, phone, operator or proprietor (private hire)	3 days
Serious illness or medication that may affect driving	14 days
Accident affecting a hackney's safety or appearance	72 hours
Lost property in a private hire vehicle	Licensing Office within 48 hours
Unclaimed lost property in a hackney (byelaws)	Council office or police station within 48 hours

Conduct and local rules

Wear your badge whenever operating the vehicle. Be civil and orderly with passengers, other drivers and officers.
No smoking or vaping in the vehicle at any time, or beside it if smoke gets in.
No child under 10 in the front of a private hire vehicle (except risk-assessed contract work). Radio only with the hirer's consent.
Strict anti-idling: no idling while parked and waiting, especially at ranks.
Hackney byelaws: when plying for hire and not hired, go to a stand - except between 7pm and 7am.

Ranks and the pedestrian zone

Duncombe Place (near the Minster) is a full-time rank for 10 cars. St Saviourgate has Rank A (12 cars) and feeder Rank B (4 cars).
St Sampson's Square is part-time, 8pm to 6am. The Racecourse rank is used on race days only. The railway station rank is private, not council-controlled.
Footstreet hours are 10.30am to 5pm, seven days a week; some streets close 24 hours. Parliament Street and Coney Street are footstreets; Castlegate has a Blue Badge exemption.

Vehicles and plates

Since 22 November 2024, hackney carriages must be black and private hire vehicles any colour except black (plate-exempt executive vehicles excluded).
Maximum 8 passengers. Vehicles over 5 years old are inspected twice a year at the Eco Depot.
Hackneys: plate beside or below the number plate, coat of arms decal on each front door, roof sign off while the meter records a fare.
Private hire: rear door signs reading "PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLE - PRE BOOKED ONLY"; no "TAXI" or "FOR HIRE"; no bull bars.
Only council-approved CCTV may be fitted. Windscreen tint must let through at least 75% of light.

Hackney fares

Tariff 1 (7am-10pm) starts at £3.40, then 20p per 132.4 m; Tariff 2 (10pm-7am) starts at £4.40; Tariff 3 covers race-day trips to and from the Racecourse. Extras: 50p each for the 3rd and 4th passengers (under-12s free), 50p per item in the boot up to £1.00, £2.00 on bank holidays; soiling up to £90. Premium Christmas rates start at 7pm on Christmas Eve.

Worked example

Tariff 1 meter £8.60, four adults, two cases in the boot: £8.60 + 2 × 50p + 2 × 50p = £10.60.

Local area study tips

Centre: station and The Milner (Station Road), Clifford's Tower (Tower Street), Jorvik (Coppergate), Theatre Royal (St Leonard's Place), Mansion House (St Helen's Square), Lendal Bridge.
Hospitals: York Hospital (Wigginton Road), The Retreat (Heslington Road). LNER Community Stadium is on Kathryn Avenue.
Ring roads: A1237 to the north and west, A64 to the south and east. Park & Rides include Askham Bar (Tadcaster Road) and Poppleton Bar (A59).
Villages inside York include Haxby, Strensall, Copmanthorpe and Bishopthorpe; Tadcaster and Easingwold are in North Yorkshire.

Safeguarding and equality

A child is anyone under 18; the Care Act 2014 is the main law for safeguarding adults. Report concerns to the police, or 999 if someone is in danger.
Carry assistance dogs free (Equality Act sections 168 and 170) unless you hold a displayed medical exemption.
Only drivers who passed the wheelchair exercise and disability course may drive a wheelchair accessible hackney.

Quick check

How many correct answers to pass? (26)
How many attempts at most? (6)
What colour are new York hackney carriages? (Black)