LICENSING THREAT: Concerns raised as London taxi driver SERU assessment looms without training materials from TfL yet to be provided
- Perry Richardson
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
With just over two months before the Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding (SERU) assessment becomes mandatory for London black taxi drivers renewing their licences, concerns have emerged over the lack of training material being made available.
From 1 October 2025, all new applicants and existing black cab drivers in London must pass the SERU assessment before being issued a licence. The requirement, already in place for private hire drivers since 2021, is part of a Transport for London (TfL) initiative to align licensing with Department for Transport (DfT) statutory standards.
The assessment, which will be taken at TfL’s Greenwich office, includes multiple choice questions and sentence completion tasks. Candidates will need to score at least 60% to pass. The test is expected to contain around 36 questions and take one hour to complete. While the initial cost of the assessment is around £40, resits will cost an additional £30 each.
Despite the test being described as “open book”, the key resource intended to support drivers, a handbook outlining relevant regulations and guidance, has yet to be provided to the first batch of drivers preparing to take the test.
The material is supposed to be included in the licence renewal pack sent to drivers. However, drivers expecting to take the test in early October, including LTDA representative Mohamed Abdi Mohamed, have reported receiving renewal packs without the necessary handbook.
“TfL has said it is finalising a taxi driver handbook that will contain all the material needed to prepare for the assessment. This handbook is supposed to be included in the licence renewal pack.” said Mohamed. “However, the renewal pack I recently received did not include it, despite the fact that I need to pass the SERU to renew my licence. That leaves me, along with roughly 499 other drivers, at a disadvantage,as we currently have no materials to study or practice with
According to Mohamed’s column in TAXI Newspaper, TfL has said the handbook is in the final stages of preparation, the delay in its release is raising questions over whether drivers will have enough time to study before their test dates. This is especially relevant given that failure to pass the assessment will prevent licence renewal and potential force drivers out of work until the test is completed.
TfL has said that enough testing appointments will be available to meet demand, within the LTDA news article. However, confidence in that assurance is low among some drivers, particularly in light of recent ongoing administrative problems that have affected other TfL taxi and private hire licensing services.
Adding to the frustration, drivers will not be informed of their test result on the day. Instead, they will need to wait between three and five working days for a decision, despite the test being computer-based.
The LTDA has pledged to support drivers throughout the process.
Mohamed Abdi Mohamed said in TAXI Newspaper: “Transport for London that, starting 1 October 2025, all new London black taxi applicants and existing drivers renewing their licences must pass the Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding (SERU) assessment before it can be granted.
“The SERU assessment has already applied to private hire drivers since 1 October 2021, and covers both new applicants and those renewing their licences. TfL expects around 500 black taxi drivers will need to renew their licences in October of 2025, with similar numbers each month over the next three years. I’ll be among the first group required to take the assessment, as my current licence expires in the first week of October.
“DFT Statutory Standards say: “Any changes in licensing requirements should be followed by a review of the licences already issued. If the need to change licensing requirements has been identified, this same need is applicable to those already in possession of a licence.”
“The SERU assessment is computer-based and takes place at TfL’s Greenwich office. It includes multiple choice questions and sentence completion tasks. Black taxi drivers will only need to take the test once when they next renew their licence, whereas Knowledge students will need to complete it before they can pick up their badge. The pass mark is 60%, and there are expected to be about 36 questions to complete within one hour.
“The initial assessment will cost approximately £40, with a £30 fee for any resits. You can resit the test as many times as needed.
“Unfortunately, TfL won’t tell you whether you passed or failed on the day of your assessment. Instead, you’ll need to wait three to five working days for the result. This is very disappointing and one would have expected that in this day and age, and for a computer-based assessment, the result would be almost instant, if not far sooner than the specified period.
“TfL has said it is finalising a taxi driver handbook that will contain all the material needed to prepare for the assessment. This handbook is supposed to be included in the licence renewal pack.
“However, the renewal pack I recently received did not include it, despite the fact that I need to pass the SERU to renew my licence. That leaves me, along with roughly 499 other drivers, at a disadvantage,as we currently have no materials to study or practice with.
“The test will be open book, meaning the handbook will be available during the assessment. The renewal pack is expected to highlight which sections of the handbook will be relevant for the test.
“Once again, TfL seems unprepared for the rollout of a new licensing condition. Despite having had years to sort this, they’ve failed to provide drivers with essential resources on time. What’s more concerning is that licences will not be renewed unless the assessment is passed. Although TfL claims that enough testing appointments will be available between 1 October and each driver’s renewal date, my confi dence in that promise, and no doubt yours as well, has been severely impacted following their multiple issues and failures in recent months.
“If TfL fails to provide the handbook in good time and this prevents drivers from being able to continue to work due to test delays, they may face legal challenges and even more reputational damage. Thankfully, the LTDA will continue to offer support and guidance to its members, especially those whose licences expire after 1 October.“
