What are the people on motorbikes in London, with maps on the windvisor doing?

Question

Recently, all around London, I have noticed there are many people on mopeds and motorbikes, that have maps taped to a pieice of plastic above the handlebars.
They are not pizza delivery people, or seem to be experienced couriers.
Does anyone know what they are doing? Are they training for something?
Are they rubbish spies?
Thanks.

Answer 1

They are trainee London cabbies. I think they're given a map of a certain area to study and they go round on a moped to familiarise themselves with the area.

Answer 2

Ha ha

They're doing "the knowledge". They have to learn every street in London in order to qualify to drive a Hackney Taxi. That's why London taxi drivers are the best in the world - it takes them years to learn them all (even though they seem to forget all of them south of the river once they start!)

Answer 3

They are probably doing their 'knowledge'. This is what people do when they are training to be a London Black Cab driver. Training can take years and it is an agonisingly slow process.

Answer 4

they are doing the knowledge of London to become a London taxi driver for the black cabs

Answer 5

Potential taxi drivers getting the knowledge necessary to get a taxi drivers licence

Answer 6

its called doing the knowledge... learning every street in london to become a taxi driver...

Answer 7

that is how they learn their "Knowledge" to become black cab drivers. It is the easiest way of learning all the streets is by bike. My friends brother is learning it. It takes a few years to learn all the streets and the shortest way to each one. No SAT NAV's are allowed.

Answer 8

They're all trying to find the road out of London...

just ignore them. They'll go away.....eventually

Answer 9

they're immigrants trying to find the dole office.