Service, difficult passengers, seatbelt responsibility and accessibility – how to reason right in test 1's biggest subjects.
Passenger interaction is the single biggest subject in test 1 with about 12 questions and is about professional conduct, communication and service. The correct answer almost always starts from the passenger's safety, privacy and equal treatment. Think professionally and customer-oriented rather than from what you personally would do.
The questions often involve intoxicated, threatening or dissatisfied passengers. The basic principle is to stay calm, act in a quietly de-escalating way and put safety – your own and the passenger's – first. Responding with respect and avoiding escalating a conflict is almost always the answer the exam rewards.
This includes seatbelt use, children in cars, safe boarding and alighting, and handling luggage. As a driver you have a responsibility for safety in the car, and the questions test that you know the rules on, for example, seatbelts and where passengers should get out in a traffic-safe way. Safety always comes before saving time.
A taxi driver often meets older people, people with disabilities and special-transport passengers. The exam tests that you can give a respectful reception, offer reasonable help and handle aids such as a wheelchair or walker safely. The subject of illnesses and disabilities is closely linked to this.