To raise awareness of priority seats on London‘s public transport network, Transport for London (TfL) is holding a Priority Seating Week.
A trial is being held on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to highlight priority seats and to encourage passengers to look up and offer their seat to someone who may need it more.
In 2017 Transport for London introduced ‘Please offer me a seat’ badges, since when, over 140,000 have been issued.
Since 2005, 800,000 ‘Baby on board’ badges have also been issued. It held its first priority seating awareness week in 2018.
Priority seating is designed to help people travel more safely, including those with non-visible conditions, parents with infants, and older people.
Designated priority seats are in every train and tram carriage and on buses, and are normally near doors and should be clearly marked.
To mark the start of Priority Seating Week, Transport for London (TfL) is running an art competition for school children, with three prizes for tickets to a Merlin Entertainments attraction in London.
The competition for children aged six to 14 is to create a piece of artwork showing why it is important for people to offer seats to people who need them.
Details on how to enter are on the TfL website.
Transport for London’s Independent Disability Advisory Group will judge the entries and the three winners will have their artwork displayed on London’s transport network and receive tickets for a family of four to a Merlin Entertainments attraction in London.
Three runners-up will receive return tickets for a family of four for the IFS Cloud Cable Car.
In February, Transport for London’s customer inclusion plan, Equity in Motion, was published and set out over 80 commitments to make London a fairer and more accessible and inclusive city.
One commitment, to conduct research into priority seating, was undertaken earlier this year and looked at how likely people are to get a priority seat if they need one.
The research showed that although many of those who need a seat get one, with many customers offering their seat, it is not always clear when someone needs a priority seat. Also. people often do not notice if there is someone who needs a seat.
Research for the Docklands Light Railway has also shown that many people were unaware of the priority seating as it is not visually distinctive from other seating.
Throughout the week there will be engagement activity in stations, new posters will be displayed across the transport network, and appropriate posts made through social media.
On the Elizabeth line, station staff will promote ‘Please offer me a seat’ badges.
Transport for London’s Equity in Motion plan also includes:
- Making half of all Tube stations step-free by 2030.
- Introducing mini ramps at all London Underground platforms to cover the gap between the train and the platform so that they are step-free to the train.
- An innovation challenge to improve travel for disabled people.
- More dedicated spaces for wheelchairs and buggies on Bakerloo, Central, and Waterloo & City line trains
- Publishing a customer toilet provision will be improved.
- Installing priority seating moquettes on 1,000 Routemaster buses by 2025
- Ensuring all frontline staff complete disability equality training
Further information about how London’s transport network is being made more accessible and the support available is online at https://tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/.
“Making the public transport network accessible for all is a top priority for the Mayor, and Londoners can play their part by being aware of who’s around them and offering their seat to those who need it, bearing in mind that not all disabilities are visible.
Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport
“I’m pleased to see TfL taking an innovative approach this Priority Seating Week, trialling new signage designs on DLR trains which will clearly highlight priority seats.”
Responses