SERU driver behaviour: questions and answers
26 practice questions for the TfL SERU assessment, with answers and explanations at the end.
Free from taxiknowledgetest.co.uk. Not an official council or TfL document: check the current official guidance.
Questions
Complaints and signs in the vehicle
What must a private hire operator do with complaints it receives?
An operator must report to the blank any complaint that involves a possible crime.
A passenger is not happy with how your operator dealt with their complaint. What can they do?
If TfL investigates a complaint about you, it will give you the details and ask for your blank.
Why is it important to answer all of TfL's requests for information about a complaint?
A driver has a pattern of poor behaviour, and attempts to improve it have failed. What may TfL do?
TfL normally reviews whether a driver is fit to stay licensed after about blank complaints in two years.
Your licence was granted on or after 1 July 2025. You must make sure the PHV you drive displays the TfL blank, unless the vehicle is exempt.
A vehicle owner does not like how the new TfL signs look and wants to peel them off. Is this allowed?
Treating passengers properly
After a trip, you want to message a passenger to ask if they would like to meet for a coffee. Can you use the number from the booking?
You may use a passenger's contact details only to talk to them about the blank.
A passenger seems friendly and likes to laugh. Which of these should you still never joke about?
You have a responsibility to make sure that passengers feel blank when they travel in your vehicle.
You may only get into the back seat of your vehicle with passengers on board if there is blank.
Your passenger becomes seriously ill during the journey. You have had no first aid training. What should you do?
Do not give a passenger first aid unless the emergency services tell you what to do, or you have had the right blank.
A passenger with a disability asks you to help them out of your vehicle. What should you do first?
A PHV driver swears at a cyclist and bullies them at a junction. What will TfL do if it learns about this?
Unacceptable sexual behaviour
Sexual behaviour between a driver and a passenger is never acceptable, even if blank.
A passenger has no money and offers you sex instead of the fare. What should you do?
What will happen if you are found to have acted in an unsuitable sexual way towards a passenger?
A driver who admits to sexual contact with a passenger will lose their licence, even if the driver is not blank.
A passenger gets in wearing a smart dress. Which of these is unacceptable from a driver?
Touching a passenger without their permission could be a blank and will be investigated by the police.
A driver wants to show a passenger a rude picture on his phone as a joke. What is the rule?
Avoid any behaviour that could be understood as sexual, even if you think it is blank.
Answers
- B. Keep details of all of them. Operators must keep details of every complaint made to them.
- C. police. The police can then investigate. Operators must report complaints that involve possible crimes.
- A. Contact TfL. Passengers can contact TfL if they are not satisfied with the operator. TfL may then carry out its own investigation.
- A. comments. TfL asks for your side of the story and tells you the result when it has finished its enquiries.
- C. TfL can only decide using the information it receives. TfL can only base a decision on what it receives, so your response matters.
- B. Suspend or revoke the licence. TfL may suspend or revoke a licence after a serious complaint, a number of complaints or a pattern of poor behaviour.
- D. three. TfL's current Driver Policy gives this detail, which the Handbook does not. A single serious complaint can also lead to a review.
- C. signage. This rule is newer than the 2021 Handbook. The signage shows passengers how to complain to TfL. TfL's Driver Policy says all PHVs must display it from 4 January 2027, unless exempt.
- B. No, signs must stay on while the PHV is licensed. This rule came after the 2021 Handbook. Signs must not be removed while the PHV stays licensed, and TfL says appearance is not a valid reason for an exemption.
- A. No, it is a misuse of their personal information. Contacting a passenger for personal or social reasons is unacceptable. It is a misuse of their personal information.
- C. booked journey. Do not use a passenger's contact details to start talking about anything else.
- D. Their religion. Never make comments or jokes about age, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.
- C. safe. The way you treat passengers affects how they feel about the journey. Be professional and help them feel at ease.
- C. an emergency. Getting in the back can make passengers uncomfortable, and your actions could be misunderstood.
- B. Call 999 immediately. Do not physically check the passenger or give first aid yourself, unless the emergency services or a medical professional tell you how, or you are trained.
- D. training. Without training or instructions from the emergency services or a medical professional, your job is to call 999.
- B. Check exactly what help they want. Check what help they are asking for, such as holding your arm. Keep physical contact to the minimum needed.
- A. Review if the driver is fit to hold a licence. The Handbook says TfL expects good behaviour towards passengers and other road users. The Driver Policy says abuse, bullying or harassment of road users leads to a review.
- A. both of them agree to it. No type of sexual behaviour with a passenger is acceptable, for any reason.
- B. Say no, as this is never allowed. You must never offer or accept sex or sexual activity in place of a fare.
- D. You will lose your licence. TfL or the police will investigate all complaints and reports. The Handbook says you will lose your licence.
- D. charged or convicted. TfL's Driver Policy says the licence will be revoked in this case, whether the contact was agreed or not, and with or without a charge, caution or conviction.
- A. Making a comment about how she looks in it. Never make sexual remarks or comments about a passenger's appearance or clothing.
- D. sexual assault. Avoid physical contact unless it is completely necessary, for example helping someone who needs assistance to get into your vehicle.
- B. Never watch, show or share sexual pictures. Watching, displaying or sharing pornographic or sexual pictures, or other sexual material, is never acceptable.
- A. harmless. Think about how your actions might affect a passenger, however good your intentions are.
Sources
- Private Hire Vehicle Driver's Handbook, version 1.0, Transport for London, published 30 September 2021. Checked 1 November 2026. https://content.tfl.gov.uk/phv-driver-handbook-v1.pdf
- London taxi and PHV driver policy, version 6.0, Transport for London, published 1 September 2026. Checked 1 November 2026. https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/taxi-and-private-hire-driver-policy.pdf
- Apply for a private hire driver licence, Transport for London, Undated web page.. Checked 1 November 2026. https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/private-hire-driver-licence
- Guidance for taxi and private hire drivers and vehicle owners on the new signage requirements, version 2, Transport for London, published 13 March 2026. Checked 1 November 2026. https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/signage-for-taxis-and-phvs-guidance.pdf