Posters will appear on the Elizabeth line this week and on other TfL services, including London buses in the autumn, reminding travellers to use headphones. Some passengers play music or make calls out loud, creating an unpleasant or stressful environment for others. A TfL survey of 1,000 people found that 70% described loud music and phone conversations without headphones to be a nuisance. Mobile 4G and 5G coverage across large sections of the tube and the Elizabeth line increases opportunities to stream content and make calls. TfL bylaws ban playing music out loud without written permission; the behaviour can be prosecuted, though prosecutions are rare.
They are the scourge of the modern commute: passengers who play music or videos out loud. But amid widespread disapproval from fellow travellers, Transport for London (TfL) is trying to appeal to the better nature of headphone dodgers by asking them to be considerate and plug in. The new posters, which will start to appear on the Elizabeth line this week and on other TfL services, including London buses, in the autumn remind travellers to use headphones when listening to music or making calls.
Most people use headphones, but even a small number not doing so can create an unpleasant or stressful environment, said Emma Strain, TfL's customer director. 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. A TfL survey of 1,000 people found that 70% described loud music and phone conversations without headphones to be a nuisance.
Although the campaign focuses on courtesy, regulations are already in place. TfL bylaws ban passengers from singing or playing music out loud anywhere on the network, unless they have written permission, such as the licence granted to approved buskers. The behaviour can be prosecuted if it causes the annoyance of any person. In practice, staff usually ask people to turn off their speakers. Prosecutions are rare, but not impossible. In 2023, a man was fined more than 300 after playing loud music
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