Driving and parking rules for London PHV drivers

Section 6 of the handbook is about driving and parking in London. It is one of the most practical parts, because breaking these rules costs real money and can put your licence at risk. The handbook says it does not replace The Highway Code, so use this as a companion to it.

The three headline rules

The handbook opens the section with three things to remember. PHVs are not allowed to drive in bus lanes. PHVs are not allowed to park, wait, drop off or collect passengers on a taxi rank. PHVs are not allowed to use or park on electric taxi charge points. The reason is simple: only licensed London taxis (black cabs) have those permissions, and a road sign that shows access for a taxi does not include you.

Picking up and dropping off

You may stop to pick up or drop off passengers in many places where waiting or stopping is restricted. According to the handbook you can do this:

• On single and double red lines
• On single and double yellow lines
• Where loading is not allowed (shown by kerb markings)
• In most parking bays
• In most bus lanes, although you should avoid it if possible because it might delay or obstruct buses

The key word is stop. You can stop only long enough for passengers to get in or out. That includes the time needed to help passengers who need assistance, such as wheelchair users, and to make sure a wheelchair is correctly positioned and secured. You cannot wait for passengers in these places.

Two more rules sit alongside this. You should not stop anywhere that might block other vehicles or endanger other road users. And you must not stop on zig-zag lines, for example by pedestrian crossings or outside schools.

What "waiting" costs you

The handbook is direct about this. If you are not picking up or dropping off, you may get a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for waiting where there are restrictions. That can happen if you arrive early for a booking, if the passenger is late, or if a passenger asks you to wait while they visit a shop or a cashpoint.

The handbook also says there is no general permission to leave your vehicle to help a passenger to or from a building. Some councils understand that this is part of the job. If a passenger needs help, spend only a short time away from the vehicle, and note the passenger and booking details in case you get a PCN. It is then down to the council that issued the PCN to decide whether to accept your evidence and cancel it.

Other handbook rules in this area: do not leave your engine running while you wait, because that pollutes the environment and can be illegal on a public road. And never drop passengers in the middle of the road, even if traffic has stopped you. Get close to the kerb.

Bus lanes and bus stops

You are not allowed to drive in bus lanes, but you may pick up or drop off in most of them. If you do, enter and leave in the most direct and safe way, and take care with cyclists and motorcyclists, who can use bus lanes, and with pedestrians and bus passengers crossing the road.

At bus stops, do not stop at bus stop clearways (marked with a wide yellow line by the kerb). On red routes, you cannot stop at bus stops marked with a wide red line. The handbook says to try not to stop at other red route bus stops, and to avoid picking up or dropping off at bus stops generally, because it can delay buses and may not be allowed at some of them.

Taxi ranks and electric taxi charge points

Ranks are for licensed London taxis only. Do not park or wait on a working rank at any time, and do not pick up or drop off on one. The handbook warns that you may be fined and TfL may also take licensing action, which could include suspending or revoking your licence. The same applies to electric taxi charge points: you cannot park, wait or charge a PHV on one.

Red routes

Red routes are the main roads in London, marked with red lines by the kerb and signs where required. You can pick up or drop off on single or double red lines, but you must not wait where restrictions apply. There is one stated exception: PHVs may stop on a red route to wait for a passenger to use a cashpoint, but only between 22:00 and 06:00 and for no longer than 5 minutes.

You must never, for any reason, stop within pedestrian clearways, on zig-zag lines, at bus stops with wide red lines, or anywhere your vehicle would cause an obstruction or danger. Some red route sections are marked for parking, shown by a P on the signs. The signs tell you when parking is allowed, for how long and how soon you can return. You can park or wait in those bays as long as you obey the limits.

Penalty Charge Notices

A PCN can be given by a parking attendant or enforcement officer, or sent to the registered keeper if a camera caught the offence. You can get one even if you never saw an officer, and it does not have to be on your windscreen to be valid. PCNs are not just for parking. The handbook lists driving in a bus lane, banned turns such as an illegal U-turn, and blocking a yellow box junction.

You do not have to report ordinary PCNs to TfL if they carry no penalty points. But if TfL learns you are collecting frequent ones, it may take licensing action, because it expects licensed drivers to behave responsibly. See our guide on what you must tell TfL.

Congestion Charge and ULEZ

PHVs entering the Congestion Charge zone need to pay the daily charge unless they have an exemption. The handbook says a PHV designated as wheelchair accessible does not pay when entering the zone to carry out a booking from a London licensed operator. You can check designation on the TfL website.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) requires petrol PHVs to meet Euro 4 and diesel PHVs to meet Euro 6, or the driver pays a daily charge. The handbook says you can usually work out the standard from the first registration date on the V5C. PHVs registered as wheelchair accessible by TfL are exempt from the ULEZ charge.

The handbook does not give charge amounts, operating hours or zone boundaries, and these change. It points to the TfL website for them, so check there. We have not confirmed current figures and do not quote any.

This is general information from the handbook, not legal advice. Check the Highway Code and TfL's pages before relying on any detail.