Uber launches new handbook to help London drivers navigate TfL licensing process

Ride-hailing platform Uber has launched a new handbook designed to help prospective London drivers with their PHV licence applications.

It takes a driver on average 10 months to gain a PHV licence in London and can cost up to £700. Uber, the UK’s largest PHV operator, is in touch with 800 drivers that are currently caught in this complex licensing process.

The handbook, which will be handed out at Uber’s driver centres in London, outlines the steps a driver can expect to go through and how to prepare for each stage. It also outlines the costs they should expect to pay, as well as eligibility requirements and how to prepare for the Topographical test that TfL requires drivers to complete, as well as the Safety, Equality, and Regulatory Understanding (SERU) assessment that will be a requirement for new drivers from next April.

Uber hopes that the handbook will help drivers to navigate the licensing process in London and enable more to earn with Uber.

The new handbook comes at a time when demand for trips is likely to increase as office workers head to Christmas parties during December.

Andrew Brem, Uber General Manager, UK, said: “In the current economic climate good earnings opportunities are more important than ever, and we want thousands more drivers to sign up with Uber in London. We are talking to TfL about how best to support drivers to gain PHV licences and iron out complexities within the system. In the meantime our new handbook should be a useful guide, and prospective drivers can always contact Uber for help.”