Research done by Transport for London (TFL) has shown that 70% of public transit riders find films, music, and calls on device speakers to be ANNOYING.
If you’re one of those public transit riders who think the people around you don’t mind hearing your speakerphone calls or blaring sports broadcast without headphones, you’ll have a harder time riding public transit in London.
Transport for London (TFL), the city’s transit regulator, has launched a campaign targeting “headphone dodgers,” or people who don’t use headphones to listen to their devices while riding on the city’s public buses and trains. TFL has also planned a campaign that will run on social media.
Research done by TFL has shown that 70% of public transit riders find films, music, and calls on device speakers to be annoying. Complaints about device use in recent years have soared, as large portions of the Underground now have mobile data service available. Previously, many mobile users would lose signal riding on the Underground.
Posters encouraging riders to use headphones will appear on the London Underground’s Elizabeth Line on Tuesday, and will be progressively introduced to other parts of the network this fall. Posters serve as a helpful reminder to would-be violators and also provide backup to fellow passengers who might ask them to silence their devices. The Underground also has enforcement officers in stations and onboard trains that can ask passengers to turn off their devices.
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TFL already has rules in place prohibiting passengers from playing music or streaming content out loud. If passengers refuse to comply with requests from an enforcement officer to silence their device, they can be asked to leave the train or bus, or be referred to law enforcement for prosecution. Prosecutions are rare, but not unheard of. In 2023, a passenger was fined more than £300 ($404) after playing loud music on the Underground. National transport laws in Britain allow for fines of up to £1,000 ($1,348).
TFL’s customer director, Emma Strain, told Britain’s The Guardian that the majority of public transit riders in the city use headphones when listening to music or streaming content. “Most people use headphones, but even a small number not doing so can create an unpleasant or stressful environment,” she said, “that’s why we’re reminding people to put their headphones on if they don’t already, to give others the stress-free journey they’d expect for themselves.”
The issue has drawn support from most politicians in Britain, regardless of political affiliation. Members of Parliament from multiple parties have called for greater enforcement. Britain’s national, regional, and city public transport systems are overseen by the Department of Transport.
It is common for train services around the world to have designated quiet cars, while other transport operators may request relative quiet in all cars. A passenger on France’s national rail network, SNCF, was fined €200 ($230) earlier this year for taking a phone call on speakerphone in a designated quiet area of a railway station in Nantes, in western France.
Some U.S.-based airlines like American Airlines and Alaska Airlines also maintain “quiet cabin” policies, requesting that passengers listening to devices wear headphones.
The posters are part of a larger, long-running Travel Kind campaign targeting transport in London. Other messaging will encourage riders to periodically look up from their phones to ensure their seat isn’t needed by a rider with greater need, such as a passenger with a disability, pregnant women, or seniors. Already in circulation are posters reminding passengers to be vigilant about sexual harassment and to move away from the doors after boarding to allow passengers to board more easily at subsequent stations.
TFL is one of the world’s largest public transit agencies, managing 8,500 public buses, light overland rail, trams, and the London Underground, which stretches across nearly 250 miles of track with 272 stations, with more than 543 trains in operation at any given time during peak periods. The Underground accommodates more than 5 million passenger trips each day.
