TFL has made changes to assess whether an existing private hire driver or a new private hire driver applicant meets the English Language Requirement. It is essential for public safety that all licensed private hire drivers can communicate in English at an appropriate level.

Transport for London (TfL) introduced an English language requirement (ELR) that applicants for a London PHV driver’s licence can speak, listen, read and write English at an appropriate level. The appropriate level, which is equivalent to level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for reading, writing, speaking, and listening remains the same as before and applicants or licensees are only required to satisfy the ELR once.

All drivers applying for a private hire driving license are now required to undertake and pass two separate assessments: a speaking and listening assessment and the Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding (SERU) assessment which is used to determine their reading and writing skills.

It is no longer possible to satisfy the ELR by providing documentary evidence of a qualification or by providing a certificate from one of TfL’s appointed Secure English Language Test (SELT) providers.