London Underground and bus passengers urged to stop one 'annoying' habit that others hate

London Mayor Sadiq Khan will launch a campaign urging commuters to use headphones whilst listening to music on the capital's public transport network.

Posters will start appearing on the Elizabeth line on Tuesday, reminding travellers not to play audio aloud or conduct conversations on speaker mode as it could disturb fellow passengers. The initiative, forming part of Transport for London's (TfL) broader Travel Kind campaign, will subsequently be introduced across London's buses, the Docklands Light Railway, and Overground and Underground services.

Passengers using their phones for loud contenthas emerged as a contentious political matter in recent months, with both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives pressing ministers to address the issue.

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Seb Dance, deputy mayor of London for transport, said: "The vast majority of Londoners use headphones when travelling on public transport in the capital, but the small majority who play music or videos out loud can be a real nuisance to other passengers and directly disturb their journeys.

"TfL's new campaign will remind and encourage Londoners to always be considerate of other passengers. However Londoners spend their journey, whether catching up on their favourite series or listening to music, we want everyone to have a pleasant journey."

A second poster campaign is set to encourage individuals to lift their gaze from their mobile phones and be mindful of fellow passengers who may need a seat, reports MyLondon. The Travel Kind initiative has previously featured posters promoting vigilance against sexual harassment and encouraging travellers to move further into the carriages on London's Tube to allow others to board.

Emma Strain, TfL's customer director, said: "We want everyone to have a pleasant and comfortable journey on our services. Better mobile coverage on our network means we're more connected than ever, and while that means we can stream music and shows and make calls on the go, we must be considerate of others.

"Most people use headphones, but even just a small number of people not doing so can create an unpleasant or even stressful environment for others, with the majority of customers we asked agreeing that this is disruptive behaviour. 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."

This campaign launch comes hot on the heels of the Tories' call for a ban on passengers playing loud music on buses. The Conservatives are also pushing for railway operators to enforce rules against disruptive loud music, with immediate fines for offenders.

Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden has voiced his concern, stating that passengers should not have to "endure somebody else's choice of crap music". The Liberal Democrats have already been advocating for similar measures, suggesting fines of up to £1,000 for those who play music out loud on public transport.

Lib Dems transport spokesperson and Wimbledon MP, Paul Kohler, expressed his satisfaction with the response from Transport for London: "I'm pleased Transport for London are listening to the Liberal Democrats. We've been campaigning on this issue for a number of months and I'm glad TfL and others are finally paying attention to our campaign.

"Playing music and videos out loud on public transport has a real impact on other passengers' lives. It's often thoughtless, and sometimes deliberately intimidating, but always wrong.

"It's now time for the Government to face the music by silencing it, with tougher action including fixed penalty notices across all public transport and a publicity campaign to put an end to headphone dodging."