Red routes for London PHV drivers

Red routes are the main roads in London. They carry a lot of traffic, so the rules on stopping are strict. A PHV driver can pick up and drop off on them, but waiting is a different matter. This guide lays out the handbook's rules in one place, with a way to remember them.

What a red route is

The handbook describes red routes as the main roads in London, marked with red lines by the kerb and, where required, with signs. Because the rules depend on the lines and signs at the spot, the first habit is to read both before you stop. The handbook says to check what signage is displayed and make sure you understand and follow it.

Stop, do not wait

The handbook allows PHV drivers to pick up or drop off on single or double red lines. It also says you must not wait for a passenger where restrictions apply. It gives three situations that do not change this:

• You have arrived early for a booking.
• The passenger is late.
• The passenger wants to visit a shop.

In practice, "stop" means the time it takes for passengers to get in or out. It can include time to help someone who needs assistance. It does not include sitting with the engine on while you wait for a booking to appear.

The cashpoint exception

There is one carve-out. The handbook says TfL allows PHVs to stop on a red route to wait for passengers to use a cashpoint, but only between 22:00 and 06:00, and for no longer than 5 minutes. All three limits matter. A passenger who needs a cashpoint at 17:00, or a stop of ten minutes at 23:00, falls outside it.

Places you must never stop

The handbook says you must never, for any reason, stop in these places:

• Pedestrian clearways
• Zig-zag lines
• Bus stops marked with wide red lines
• Any place where your vehicle would cause an obstruction or any danger to other road users

"Never, for any reason" leaves no room for a passenger's request or a quiet street. If a passenger asks you to stop in one of these spots, explain politely and move on to a safe place.

Parking bays on red routes

Some red route sections are marked for parking. The handbook says you can identify the bays by a P on the signs that go with them. The signs tell you three things: when parking is allowed, how long a vehicle can stay, and how soon it can stop again in the same section of road. PHVs can pick up, drop off, park or wait in these bays as long as they obey the limits. The key word is limits. The time on the sign is a hard stop, not a guide.

Bus stops on red routes

On red routes, the handbook says you cannot stop at bus stops marked with a wide red line by the kerb. At other red route bus stops, you should try not to stop, to avoid delaying or obstructing buses. See our driving and parking rules guide for how this fits with bus lanes and bus stop clearways.

A simple check before you stop

1. Is there a line, sign or marking here that stops me? Read it.
2. Am I picking up or dropping off, or am I about to wait?
3. Would my vehicle block anyone, or put anyone in danger?
4. Is it a never-stop place: clearway, zig-zag, wide red line at a bus stop?
5. If I must wait, is there a legal bay or an off-street option?

If a notice arrives anyway, our guide to penalty charge notices explains what the handbook says about them.

Practice questions

Red route rules appear in the section 6 material that SERU draws on. You can test yourself in SERU practice, which uses original questions written from the handbook.

Where this comes from

Handbook section 6 (Red routes, and Stopping and waiting). Checked on 2 October 2026. The handbook is version 1.0 dated 30 September 2021 and says it is not a complete statement of the law, so confirm local signs and TfL's current guidance.