New tests for NYC cabbies mean street smarts are no longer required

New Yorkers, beware: cab routes are about to get even more circuitous. Due to driver shortages and higher exam failure rates, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission has revised its exam to include fewer questions that require local knowledge, making getting the green light to drive a yellow cab easier than ever.

The cab license test's 80 questions used to hinge on local geography, but now most of those questions are a figment of the past. Now, there are 10 remaining geographic questions, all of which focus on navigating around the city with a map. Allan Fromberg, a spokesman for the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, told The New York Times that the test was revised because times are changing — and even cab drivers can rely on GPS.

Perhaps the change also reflects the growing need to compete with car services like Uber and Lyft, which require neither licenses nor specialized knowledge. In recent months, UberX has slashed prices, crumbling the yellow cab monopoly.

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Since the exam's revision, pass rates have risen 20 percent, according to The Times — so make sure you tell your cabbie your preferred route, otherwise he could end up Googling it.