TfL SERU Assessment Study Guide
A free, chaptered study guide covering everything the TfL SERU Assessment can ask. Read a chapter, then test yourself with its quiz — the fastest way to find your gaps before you book.
1. Passenger, road and vehicle safety
This topic covers your duty to keep passengers and other road users safe, from carrying only the number of passengers you're licensed and insured for to knowing what to do after a collision. It's about the practical, everyday safety habits TfL expects of a professional driver.
Key facts to remember
- You may only carry the number of passengers your vehicle is licensed and insured to carry — never more.
- Licensed private hire vehicles are smoke-free; smoking is not allowed inside the vehicle.
- After a collision you must stop, exchange details, and report it to the police and your insurer as required.
- Keeping the vehicle roadworthy — valid MOT, tyres, lights and brakes — is your responsibility, not just the operator's.
Topics in this chapter
Everyday safety on the job · Vehicle standards & emergencies
Practise this chapter →2. Safeguarding children and adults at risk
Safeguarding means protecting children and adults at risk from harm and abuse. As a licensed driver you're in a position to notice when something isn't right, and TfL expects you to report concerns to the authorities rather than ignore them or try to investigate yourself.
Key facts to remember
- Safeguarding is about protecting children and adults at risk from harm and abuse.
- An 'adult at risk' is someone unable to protect themselves because of age, disability, or mental illness.
- Your role is to recognise and report concerns — not to investigate them yourself.
- If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 999; use 101 for non-emergency police concerns.
Topics in this chapter
Recognising and reporting risk · Adults at risk in depth
Practise this chapter →3. Equality, disability and the Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 protects people with certain characteristics from discrimination. For drivers, that means treating passengers fairly regardless of who they are, making reasonable adjustments where needed, and carrying assistance dogs and wheelchair users without charging more.
Key facts to remember
- The Equality Act 2010 protects characteristics including age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, and pregnancy.
- You must carry a passenger's assistance dog at no extra charge unless you hold a medical exemption certificate.
- Charging a wheelchair user or disabled passenger more for the same journey is unlawful discrimination.
- Making reasonable adjustments — such as helping with a wheelchair — is part of your legal duty.
Topics in this chapter
Equality and assistance dogs · Reasonable adjustments in depth
Practise this chapter →4. Regulatory understanding: the PHV (London) Act and TfL rules
Private hire in London is governed by the PHV (London) Act 1998. This topic covers the rules that make a journey legal — bookings through a licensed operator, the three licences involved, and your duty to keep TfL informed of anything that affects your fitness to hold a licence.
Key facts to remember
- Private hire in London is regulated under the PHV (London) Act 1998.
- PHV journeys must be pre-booked through a licensed operator — you can't ply for hire or pick up in the street.
- Three licences are needed to operate legally: driver, vehicle, and operator.
- You must tell TfL about relevant changes, including a new address, medical conditions affecting driving, or a conviction.
Topics in this chapter
How private hire is regulated · Keeping TfL informed in depth
Practise this chapter →5. Dealing with passengers and difficult situations
Beyond the rules, SERU checks that you can handle real situations well: returning lost property, keeping calm during a dispute, and knowing the difference between a legitimate reason to refuse a journey and unlawful discrimination.
Key facts to remember
- Lost property should be kept safe and returned to the passenger or handed in — never kept.
- You can refuse a journey for a legitimate safety reason, but never because of a protected characteristic.
- Staying calm and de-escalating is the safest response to an aggressive or upset passenger.
- Professional, respectful service is part of what TfL expects from every licensed driver.
Topics in this chapter
Everyday judgement calls
Practise this chapter →This is an original, condensed study guide written by the SeruPass team — not a reproduction of the official handbook. Always confirm details with Transport for London — SERU.