SERU

SERU bookings and journeys questions: free practice

Section 3 of the handbook is about carrying out private hire journeys: taking only valid bookings, telling your operator about changes and treating every passenger fairly. Try five original questions.

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What the bookings chapter covers

Section 3, “Carrying out Private Hire Journeys”, covers bookings, plying for hire, operator records, airports, fares, lost property, suspicious items and refusing a booking. The most important idea is that a PHV is not a taxi, so you only carry passengers who booked through a licensed operator. See also our page on plying for hire and touting.

Five rules to know

Only carry out bookings you received from a licensed London PHV operator (p.14).
Do not pick up people in the street, at stations or at airports without a booking, even outside your operator’s office (p.14).
Do not let a passenger get in before you have received the booking, and give no sign that you are free for hire (p.14).
Tell your operator about changes such as a new final destination (p.14).
Never refuse a passenger because of a disability or an assistance dog (Section 3).

Five sample questions

These are original practice questions written from the public PHV Driver’s Handbook. They are not real SERU questions. Pick an answer before you read the answers section below.

1. Who can use TfL's online licence checker to look up licensed drivers, vehicles and operators?

A. Only licensed PHV drivers.
B. Only licensed PHV operators.
C. Only TfL staff and the police.
D. Anyone, because it is a public register.

2. You are parked in the street outside your operator's office. A man walks up, opens your back door and asks to go to Euston. He has no booking. What must you do?

A. Take him, because you are right outside your operator's office.
B. Tell him he cannot travel with you and he must book through an operator.
C. Take him if he agrees to pay more than the usual fare.
D. Take him if you call the office to say he is inside.

3. During a journey your passenger asks you to go to a different final destination. What should you do?

A. Tell your operator about the change as soon as it is safe to do so.
B. Change route and say nothing, because the passenger is paying.
C. Refuse to go, because the new place is not on the booking.
D. Wait until the end of the journey and then tell your operator.

4. An hour after a drop-off, you find a phone under the back seat. What should you do?

A. Keep it safe at home until the passenger phones you.
B. Leave it at the next police station you pass.
C. Switch it on and call the last number dialled.
D. Take it to your operator and tell them as soon as you find it.

5. A blind passenger with an assistance dog has a booking with you. You are afraid the dog will make your seat dirty. What must you do?

A. Refuse politely and ask the operator for another driver.
B. Carry them and the dog. You must not refuse because of a disability or assistance dog.
C. Carry them only if the dog travels in the boot.
D. Carry them only if they pay an extra cleaning fee.

Answers

D. The licence checker is a public register. (Licence checker, p.14)
B. A PHV is not a taxi. (A PHV is not a taxi, p.14)
A. You are not responsible for recording booking details, but you should let your operator know about changes such as a new final destination. (Booking details, p.14)
D. Take lost property back to your operator, who keeps it and must by law keep a record. (Lost property, p.16)
B. You must not refuse to take passengers because they are disabled or are travelling with an assistance dog. (When a booking cannot be carried out, p.17)

Practise the bookings chapter

These five questions come from our free sample. Section 3 has 15 free questions and more with a pass. See also: Plying for hire and touting.

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Questions

Can I pick up someone who walks up to my car?

No. A PHV is not a taxi. The handbook says you must not pick up anyone who has not booked through a licensed operator (p.14).

Who sets PHV fares?

TfL cannot set or control PHV fares. The operator agrees a fare or gives an estimate. Read Section 3 for the details.

What should I do with lost property?

Take it to your operator and tell them as soon as you find it, says our practice question based on Section 3.

Are these the real SERU booking questions?

No. TfL does not publish its questions. These are our own practice questions written from the public handbook.