On August 26, 2025, Londoners stepping onto the Elizabeth line encountered a fresh set of posters with a clear message: be kind, wear headphones. The campaign, spearheaded by Transport for London (TfL) and supported by Mayor Sadiq Khan, aims to tackle a growing public nuisance—passengers playing music, watching videos, or making calls on loudspeaker without headphones on public transport. The initiative, which is part of TfL’s wider 'Travel Kind' campaign, will soon appear across London’s buses, the Docklands Light Railway, and the Overground and Underground networks throughout autumn.
According to TfL, the issue isn’t trivial. Their research, highlighted by BBC News, found that 70% of 1,000 passengers surveyed described loud music and phone conversations without headphones as a nuisance. That’s a significant majority, and it’s a sentiment echoed by many commuters themselves. As one morning traveller told BBC Radio London, “It should be banned, definitely. It is not polite to anyone else when you are sat on the Tube in the morning and someone is playing music. That's horrendous. It is not comfortable.” Another added, “Maybe someone might be working or they might be tired so yes I think it should be banned. I personally don't mind but I know that other people are a bit more mindful about that. I guess you have to respect what other people think.”
The campaign’s posters, now visible on the Elizabeth line, ask passengers to use headphones or hands-free kits and not to play content out loud. TfL’s messaging also encourages riders to look up from their phones—reminding everyone to be mindful that others may need a seat. This is just the latest in a series of Travel Kind campaigns, which have previously called for vigilance about sexual harassment and asked commuters to move down inside carriages to help others board more easily.
For Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance, the message is about common courtesy and consideration. “The vast majority of Londoners use headphones when travelling on public transport in the capital, but the small minority 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,” Dance said, as reported by The Independent. “However Londoners spend their journey, whether catching up on their favourite series or listening to music, we want everyone to have a pleasant journey.”
This is more than just a matter of etiquette—there are real consequences for those affected by unwanted noise. TfL points out, and Londonist reiterates, that the issue is especially acute for people with conditions that heighten noise sensitivity, such as autism. For these passengers, the blare of someone else’s playlist or a video call on speaker can turn a routine commute into an ordeal.
With the expansion of 4G and 5G coverage across the Tube and other transport networks, more people are streaming content and making calls on the go. TfL acknowledges that while this increased connectivity is a boon for many, it also brings new challenges. As BBC News notes, “It is believed the use of mobiles and other devices has increased on the Tube, as large sections of the network across central London now have 4G or 5G coverage. Work is under way to expand coverage to major interchange stations such as Green Park and King's Cross St Pancras, and further sections of the Northern, Piccadilly, Jubilee and Victoria lines by the end of the year, TfL said.”
This rise in mobile connectivity has, perhaps inevitably, led to more opportunities for passengers to disturb each other. Emma Strain, TfL’s customer director, is encouraging compliance to help create a "stress-free" environment on public transport. “When our enforcement officers encounter someone doing this they usually ask the person to stop. Most people comply at that stage, but if someone refuses then further enforcement action can be taken, which might include them being asked to leave the service or the station, or being reported for possible prosecution,” Strain told BBC Radio London.
Enforcement, though, is a thorny issue. TfL by-laws already prohibit playing music or streaming content out loud when it causes distress or annoyance to others. But as Sky News reports, actual enforcement is often left to the British Transport Police or train operators, making it difficult to consistently police the behaviour. Some have floated the idea of fines, similar to the alcohol ban on the network, but questions remain about how such penalties could be enforced in practice.
The political response has been swift and vocal. Both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives have urged ministers to take action on what’s become a hot-button issue. Earlier this year, the Liberal Democrats called for fines of up to £1,000 for “headphone dodgers” who play music out loud on buses and trains. Paul Kohler, the Lib Dems’ transport spokesperson and Wimbledon MP, stated, “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.”
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have called for bans on loud music on buses and on-the-spot fines for offenders. Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden summed up the frustration of many, saying passengers should not have to “endure somebody else’s choice of crap music.”
While the campaign is focused on public transport, the problem isn’t limited to trains and buses. As Londonist wryly observes, “Coffee shops, restaurants, parks and pretty much all public spaces are susceptible to people playing sound without headphones, but in the majority of these scenarios, you can move away. When you're on a train, Tube or bus on your way to work, it's not always as easy to get away from the annoyance in such an enclosed space.”
The issue is not unique to the UK. In February 2025, a man in France was fined €200 (£172) for making a call on loudspeaker in a designated quiet area of a train station, according to BBC News. The French Transport Code allows fines for those who disturb the peace of others by noise in public transport areas, highlighting a broader trend of authorities across Europe grappling with the challenge of maintaining civility in increasingly connected spaces.
As the posters roll out across London’s transport network, the question remains: will a few reminders be enough to change entrenched habits? Some Londoners are skeptical, with Londonist noting, “It’s hard to imagine a few posters having much impact at all—not least because anyone glued to their screen for their entire commute is unlikely to notice them (or, some might argue, they're already aware that they're being a nuisance but simply don't care).”
Still, the campaign marks a significant step in addressing a modern urban annoyance. Whether it leads to quieter, more considerate commutes or simply sparks more debate, TfL’s headphone push is a sign of the times—where technology, etiquette, and public policy collide in the shared spaces of city life.
