SERU driving and parking questions: free practice

What the driving and parking chapter covers

Section 6, “Driving and Parking in London”, covers bus lanes, taxi ranks, stopping and waiting, red routes, penalty charge notices (PCNs), the Congestion Charge and the ULEZ. It does not replace the Highway Code, which you must still know and follow.

Five rules to know

• PHVs are not allowed to drive in bus lanes (pp.26, 28).
• Do not park, wait, drop off or collect passengers on a taxi rank, and do not use electric taxi charge points (p.26).
• Do not stop on zig-zag lines, for example by pedestrian crossings or outside schools (p.26).
• Stop only long enough for passengers to get in or out. You can get a PCN for waiting, even if the passenger is late (p.27).
• On red routes, the five-minute cashpoint exception applies only between 22:00 and 06:00 (Section 6).

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. You are driving a PHV on a London road with a bus lane. The main road is slow and the bus lane is empty. What should you do?

• A. Stay out of the bus lane, because PHVs are not allowed to drive in it
• B. Use the bus lane, but only if no bus is in sight
• C. Use the bus lane, because your passenger is in a hurry
• D. Use the bus lane if you drive an electric or hybrid car

2. A PHV driver parks on a taxi rank while waiting for a booking. What could happen?

• A. Nothing, if the rank is quiet
• B. A fine, and TfL could suspend or revoke the driver's licence
• C. A warning from the operator only
• D. A fine, but TfL cannot act

3. You come back to your PHV and there is no ticket on the windscreen. A week later a letter arrives with a PCN. Is it valid?

• A. No, because it was not on the windscreen
• B. No, because you were not given it at the time
• C. Yes, because a camera can catch the offence and the PCN goes to the registered keeper
• D. Yes, but only if you pay within a day

4. It is 14:00 on a red route. Your passenger asks you to wait while they use a cashpoint. What should you do?

• A. Wait for up to 5 minutes
• B. Do not wait; the cashpoint exception only applies at night
• C. Wait for up to 10 minutes
• D. Wait if you stay in the car

5. What is a 'red route' in London?

• A. A road used only by emergency vehicles
• B. A road that only buses may use
• C. A road where all stopping is allowed
• D. A main road marked with red lines by the kerb

Answers

1. A. A PHV is not a taxi. (Bus lane driving, p.26)
2. B. Waiting on a taxi rank can lead to a fine and licensing action by TfL, including suspension or revocation of your PHV driver's licence. (Taxi rank penalties, p.28)
3. C. A PCN can be sent to the registered keeper if a camera records the offence. (PCNs, p.28)
4. B. The 5-minute cashpoint exception applies only between 22:00 and 06:00. (Cashpoint exception, p.29)
5. D. Red routes are the main roads in London. (Red routes, p.29)

Practise the driving and parking chapter

These five questions come from our free sample. Section 6 has 15 free questions and more with a pass. See also: Plying for hire and touting.

• Practise this chapter
• Free SERU Mock 1: 37 questions, 45 minutes, with scores
• Passes for the full question bank

Sources

• TfL: PHV Driver's Handbook (PDF)
• TfL: SERU for private hire drivers