There are fresh calls for TfL to take stricter action to combat disruptive behaviour on public transport, reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter

Transport for London (TfL) has brought just four prosecutions against passengers for loud phone conversations or playing audio on their devices since 2020, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has learned.

The transport authority’s byelaws state that no passenger “shall, to the annoyance of any person, sing or use any instrument, article or equipment for the production or reproduction of sound”.

This would include having phone conversations on speaker or playing music out loud. However, data revealed by a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request shows that just four prosecutions have been brought against noisy passengers since 2020, with three fines worth £705 in total issued.

In the other case, the defendant had already returned to their home country, meaning no action could be taken. An additional two warnings in 2021 and 2023 were handed out.

In August the transport body rolled out a new campaign encouraging people to use headphones when playing music on the tube, with posters seen on the Elizabeth and Piccadilly lines. That same month, TfL research found that 70% of customers find loud music and phone conversations made in speaker mode disruptive.

At the time, TfL confirmed to the LDRS that there would not be any extra enforcement officers roaming various services as a result of this campaign. Instead, the aim is to raise awareness and reduce noisy behaviour across the network on a largely voluntary basis.

But the lack of prosecutions and intention to prosecute have prompted fresh calls for TfL to take stricter action to help the wider passenger experience. Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Hina Bokhari told the LDRS: “It’s astonishing that in five years TfL has only issued two warnings and four prosecutions for people blaring out noise, given every Londoner knows this is a daily nuisance.

“TfL clearly recognises there’s a problem, having launched its awareness campaign, but posters alone won’t bring peace to passengers. It’s time for fines and real consequences for those who ignore the rules.”

Back in April, the Lib Dems nationally called for fines of up to £1,000 for travellers who play loud music and videos on public transport across England.

Reform UK Assembly Member Alex Wilson added: “TfL and Sadiq Khan clearly know this is a significant issue, but are doing next to nothing to solve it.

“Their dire record of enforcement leaves me with no faith at all that their recent campaign encouraging passengers to wear headphones is anything but a request to trouble makers, with no meaningful action to back it up.

“The findings that only four people have been prosecuted for this in five years are part of a pattern of lawlessness across TfL, a pattern the mayor and TfL bosses are well aware of but choose to ignore. It’s a shameful record, and they need to be held accountable.”

A TfL spokesperson told the LDRS: “The vast majority of our customers are considerate towards their fellow passengers and use headphones when streaming content or making calls on our services. Where this does not happen, enforcement is a last resort.

“Our enforcement officers would normally engage with the passenger first, explaining the rules and encouraging compliance. Usually the customer complies – but if this fails, enforcement officers can deny travel, remove them from the network and/or refer them for prosecution.”

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