| Over the past three decades we have seen most | | | | must have a reasonable hope of executing the |
| major Cities establish criteria and requirements | | | | tasks of the job. The most daunting of which is |
| that include minimum mandatory training for | | | | acquiring the knowledge of the city streets, |
| persons wishing to drive taxi cabs in the | | | | highways and bridges as well as the long list of |
| respective municipality. | | | | New York City landmarks. |
| In 1984 New York City initiated its first | | | | On the first day as a taxi driver they must have |
| mandatory training program. Over the years the | | | | at least a modicum of knowledge to go along with |
| programs have evolved into an array of training | | | | their high hopes of taking a passenger from the |
| programs and services for current and aspiring | | | | upper east side of Manhattan to the Grand |
| taxi drivers. | | | | Central Terminal or from Lincoln Center to JFK |
| The eight hundred pound gorilla in the training and | | | | Airport. |
| license world in New York City is The Master | | | | In its shortest incarnation Taxi School in New |
| Cabbie Taxi Academy. More people get the hack | | | | York City can be as little as three days. More |
| license through this organization than all the other | | | | than half of the applicants at the Master Cabbie |
| providers in the City combined. | | | | Taxi Academy spend more time than this. In the |
| Driving a taxi seems to be a simple concept. | | | | Master Cabbie Special Programs which offer |
| Taking a passenger from point A to point B | | | | unlimited training, people stay an average of |
| would'nt seem to present too many problems. | | | | seven weeks. The success rate of persons who |
| However, problems do arise that require training | | | | follow program guide lines is approximately ninety |
| which for some can extend far beyond the three | | | | percent. This is an unmatched statistic by all |
| day minimum, to twelve months and longer. | | | | accounts. The placement rate of the graduates is |
| In an industry where more than ninety percent of | | | | one hundred percent. |
| the drivers use English as a second language the | | | | For all the logical reasons leading to educating |
| simple abc's take a little longer. So when it comes | | | | oneself the most compelling reason for New York |
| to the Taxi Driver Examination, a written test | | | | City Taxi Drivers is the income potential. Median |
| consisting of thirty English questions and fifty | | | | income for taxi drivers is approximately one |
| questions in taxi subjects the average applicant | | | | thousand dollars per week. Of course time |
| for a new York City Taxi Drivers License is as | | | | working and number of shifts worked come to |
| likely to fail the exam as pass it. | | | | bare on the statistics but some drivers make as |
| Much of the initial motivation for attending taxi | | | | much as five hundred per day while taxi medallion |
| school in New York City is mandatory, but the | | | | prices have surpassed six hundred thousand |
| expansion of training is a market driven reality | | | | dollars. |
| being addressed by the Master Cabbie Taxi | | | | When it comes to "how" to get a hack license in |
| Academy which offers all the City requirements | | | | New York City and how much it costs? the bare |
| as well as a number of open ended, part time | | | | bones minimum is approximately three hundred |
| programs, allowing people to work at their current | | | | sixty dollars. ($360.) This would require the |
| jobs while preparing for the NYC Taxi Test at an | | | | applicant to attend to his own applications and |
| agreeable pace. | | | | fee's as well as pass the taxi drivers test after a |
| We must also remember that the taxi school | | | | three day class. |
| process is not all about passing the test. Drivers | | | | |