To coincide with Transport for London‘s seventh annual Priority Seating Week, priority seating on the Elizabeth line has been updated with a new design and higher contrast colours.

The redesign will ensure priority seats are more easily identifiable, and encourage passengers to look up and be aware of anyone nearby who might need a seat, including those with non-visible health conditions.

During Priority Seating Week, a range of activities across the network, with staff explaining public announcements and station stalls more about Transport for London’s free “Please offer me a seat” badges.

Since 2017, over 152,000 Please offer me a seat badges have been issued, initially only to addresses in London and the southeast, but are now available to anyone throughout the UK.

Passengers on public transport are being encouraged to offer their seat to customers who need it, and be aware that others may have non-visible health conditions, as someone in need of a seat may not always have a visible indicator such as a ‘Please offer me a seat badge’ or a Sunflower lanyard.

On all Transport for London passenger networks, there will be public announcements, including on buses, Docklands Light Railway, Elizabeth line, London Overground and London Underground.

‘Travel Kind Please offer your seat’ posters will be displayed across the network, stations on the Docklands Light Railway and London Overground will be handing out ‘Please offer me a seat’ badges, and the Elizabeth line will have ‘Here to help’ stalls.

All new priority seats across London’s transport network will now include the words ‘This is a priority seat’ to make it easier to recognise them, and match the design of the ‘Please offer me a seat’ badges, the Government’s Blue Badge scheme, and the design of priority seating on the Jubilee and Elizabeth lines.

In addition to ‘This is a priority seat’ words on new priority seating for the Elizabeth line, whilst retaining the line’s distinct striped pattern for its seating, priority seating will have a blue colour scheme rather than purple to help differentiate between the two types of seat. Redesigned priority seating will also be installed on new Docklands Light Railway and Piccadilly line trains and refurbished Central and Waterloo & City line trains.

Last year, Transport for London ran a children’s competition to design a poster that would encourage travellers to give up their seats for those who need them more.

“Priority seats are essential for many disabled people, including those with non-visible conditions, as well as older people. They play a vital role in enabling people to travel with confidence and stay connected in London. At IDAG, we are delighted to see Priority Seating Week return this year. It serves as an important reminder that these seats only fulfil their purpose with support from passengers. By making small, thoughtful adjustments in our behaviour, we can create significant positive impacts on others’ lives. By looking up, offering our seat, and being mindful of non-visible disabilities, we can help to make public transport more accessible and inclusive.”

Allison Peter, Deputy Chair of TfL’s independent Disability Advisory Group (IDAG)