(Image source: TfL)
Transport for London (TfL) launched its first ‘Priority Seating Week’ campaign this week to make travelling easier for people with a range of conditions whose need may not be immediately obvious.
The week marks the one year anniversary of the ‘Please Offer Me A Seat’ badge – with more than 30,000 issued to disabled customers and those with invisible conditions since the initiative was launched.
Specially designed to make travelling easier for people with a range of conditions that make it difficult to stand, the free badge and card helps customers who otherwise struggle to get a seat on public transport.
To help improve the awareness of the importance of priority seats, ‘Priority Seating Week’ will see new posters featuring customers, including pregnant women and people with visible and non-visible impairments, talking about the difference a seat makes to them, often having an impact on the rest of their day.
Newly designed Priority Seating signs are also being displayed on selected London Overground and London Underground trains, asking customers to consider others when using the seats with the aim of encouraging everyone to think about their fellow commuters who may have a greater need.
TfL has worked closely with customers to launch the campaign, including Dr Amit Patel, a passenger who has had bad experiences when travelling with his guide dog Kika. Dr Patel has recorded a special announcement asking fellow passengers to offer their seat if they are asked as the need for one is not always obvious. The announcement will be heard in Tube stations throughout the week.
TfL has worked with a wide range of charities on the campaign, including Anxiety UK, Epilepsy Society, Lupus UK, Cancer on Board and Thomas Pocklington Trust.
On the initiative Dr Amit Patel, said: "I’m really pleased to see TfL proactively raising awareness about priority seating. Travelling with a disability, whether hidden or not can be challenging, scary and sometimes even disorienting. Not everyone has the confidence to ask for a seat and not everyone will always be wearing a badge either. I would urge my fellow commuters to be more conscious of those around them when travelling, particularly if you’re sat in a priority seat, and please be brave, be kind, and offer it to someone who looks like they might appreciate it.”
Alan Benson, Chair Transport for All, said: "The badge continues to have a huge positive impact on many people’s daily journeys. This small act of kindness by fellow travellers offering up their seat has an immediate effect but also gives a confidence boost that has a lasting impact. At Transport for All we applaud TfL’s continued efforts to raise awareness of the badge and also applaud the increasing numbers of people who support it through their actions."