Posters will be displayed on the Elizabeth line starting today, urging passengers to wear headphones while listening to music, watching videos, or having phone conversations during their journeys.
Supported by Sir Sadiq Khan, this initiative from Transport for London (TfL) will expand to include the Underground, Overground, Docklands Light Railway, London Tram services, and buses starting in October. The campaign follows TfL research conducted in June, which indicated that 70 percent of public transport users in the capital dislike being subjected to other people’s phone speaker noise while traveling.
This issue has become more pronounced as the availability of 4G and 5G has increased across the rail networks, particularly since April, when the Liberal Democrats proposed an amendment to the Bus Services Bill to prohibit playing music and videos aloud on public transport, in stations, or while waiting for buses.
A YouGov poll conducted at the time revealed that 65 percent of Londoners “strongly” or “somewhat” supported the Lib Dem proposal, which included fines of up to £1,000 for offenders. The Conservatives have now suggested a similar measure in connection with Labour’s upcoming railway reforms.
It is already against national railway by-laws to create noise or play musical instruments in a manner that annoys others, and TfL has adopted these rules; however, they are infrequently enforced. The posters will be displayed on trains rather than at stations.
This poster campaign is considered an extension of TfL’s long-standing Travel Kind initiative, which promotes considerate behavior on public transport.
Emma Strain, TfL’s Customer Director, stated, “Most people use headphones, but even a small number of individuals not doing so can create an unpleasant or even stressful environment for others. That’s why we’re reminding people to put on their headphones if they aren’t already, to ensure that others have the stress-free journey they would expect for themselves.”
Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, commented, “The vast majority of Londoners use headphones when traveling on public transport, but the small minority who play music or videos aloud can be a real nuisance to other passengers and directly disrupt their journeys. TfL’s new campaign will remind and encourage Londoners to always be considerate of fellow passengers.”