Topographical skills and route planning / local knowledge
Knowing the ground, not just the postcode
Topographical tests examine practical knowledge of the licensing area: principal radial roads, ring roads, one-way systems, banned turns, bus lanes and their hours, weight and height restrictions, level crossings, station entrances and ranked stands, hospital drop-offs, airport terminals and their drop-off charges, and the charging zone and clean-air zone boundaries.
In London, black cab drivers pass the Knowledge (All London or Suburban, based on "runs" and points), while PHV applicants sit a separate topographical skills assessment covering map reading, route planning and the ability to identify locations within a set radius of a landmark.
Route planning is a skill in layers: pick the arterial road first, then the approach street, then the legal drop-off point on the correct side. Consider time of day, school streets, market days and roadworks, and match the route to the passenger's needs - a wheelchair user needs a level, unrestricted drop-off, not the nearest point on the map.
Traps: following a satnav into a bus lane or a restricted street earns a penalty charge and reflects on fitness to hold a licence; the shortest route is not automatically the correct one; and on a metered journey the passenger should be offered a choice of route rather than having one imposed.
Worked example: Heathrow to the City. The M4/A4 corridor is often quickest early morning, while the M25/M40 or A40 may win in the afternoon peak, and the congestion charge boundary affects both time and cost. Offer the options, agree one, and confirm as you set off.