Lesson 1 ~ Reading Paragraph 1 to 10

1. The DBS Update Service costs £13 per year and enables anyone who applies for an enhanced criminal record check to keep their criminal record certificate up-to-date and will allow TfL to carry out a status check on the certificate. (Choose correct one)

2. One of these Standards was for licensing authorities to test the oral and written English language proficiency for drivers. Another was for drivers to undertake safeguarding training to help them recognise and know what to do in the event of issues such as child abuse and county lines exploitation. (Choose correct one)

3. those drivers that had to take and pass the SERU and ELR assessments by 30 September 2023 but did not do so. The majority of drivers in Group 1 have taken and passed the ELR and SERU assessments and have received written notification that they are compliant. No further action is required by these drivers. (Choose correct one)

4. We recognise that English is not the first language of many London PHV drivers and we remain available to support and assist drivers and applicants. The questions in the SERU assessment are about how PHV drivers should behave in the course of their ordinary working life. We also recognise that taking and passing assessments can be intimidating. (Choose correct one)

5.Mandating the DBS Update service (DfT 4 – Driver DBS checks) is the most significant in terms of enhancing safety, and so has been prioritised to take effect from 26 February 2024. All other standards are more interrelated and so will take effect together from 1 July 2024, except for the driver requirement in DfT 2 (Displaying complaints signage) which will follow in July 2025, and the Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding (SERU) requirement for taxi drivers (DfT 5 – SERU and English language skills), which will take effect from 1 October 2025. These dates will allow the taxi and PHV industries time to prepare for the changes. (Choose correct one)

6. From today, 27 April 2023, Section 2 of the 2022 Act comes into effect which makes it mandatory for licensing authorities in England to input, into a database, instances where the authority has refused, suspended, revoked, or chosen not to renew, a taxi or PHV driver’s licence based wholly or in part on information relating to the driver concerning safeguarding or road safety. (Choose correct one)

7. The ELR was introduced in London in 2016 and transitional arrangements were put in place to allow drivers time to comply. The Department for Transport published Statutory Standards, to further enhance the safety of passengers using taxi and private hire services, in July 2020. One of these Standards was for licensing authorities to test the English language proficiency of taxi and private hire drivers. (Choose correct one)

8. On 1 October 2021, we changed how we assess London PHV drivers’ English language skills and introduced a requirement for drivers to show an understanding of safety, equality and regulatory matters (the SERU assessment). Drivers must satisfy the ELR by taking and passing a new speaking and listening test and the SERU 2 assessment is used to assess their reading and writing skills. The standard needed to meet the ELR remains at Level B1 on the CEFR. (Choose correct one)

9. All new applicants for a London PHV driver’s licence and existing licensees who have not met the ELR, are required to take and pass both the speaking and listening test and the SERU assessment. Existing licensees who provided satisfactory evidence that they meet the ELR before 1 October 2021 only have to pass the SERU assessment. (Choose correct one)

10. Transitional arrangements were put in place to provide drivers with sufficient time to take the assessments. However, in the light of experience in administering the requirements and as the industry is still recovering from the impact of the pandemic, we have decided to extend the transitional arrangements. This will allow more time for drivers to prepare for, undertake and pass the ELR and SERU requirement. (Choose correct one)