Londoners living with disabilities and chronic health conditions told the BBC they have struggled to use a Transport for London (TfL) scheme while travelling, with one even threatened by another passenger.
The “Please Offer Me A Seat” badge and card scheme marks its eighth anniversary this month, and is designed to help those with disabilities and health conditions by signalling, external to other passengers they should give up their seat if needed.
But the BBC reported that users said they are often challenged and one passenger “threatened to push me off the train because I’d asked for their seat”.
TfL commissioned research last year into the effectiveness of its priority seating, external scheme – where certain seats on trains, Tube carriages and buses are marked as being for people with visible or non-apparent disabilities and conditions, parents with infants, and older people.
The organisation advises people with disabilities and conditions making it hard for them to stand to apply for a Please Offer Me A Seat or “Baby On Board” badge to make it easier for them to secure a seat.
More than 140,000 people use the badge and the BBC reported that feedback indicates many eventually opted to use their wheelchair while on public transport due to how many other passengers refused to give up their seat.
One passenger said: “People wouldn’t give me a seat, and I couldn’t stand… without potentially having a dangerous medical episode.”
When working in their old job, Eliza said it was stressful and “pretty much impossible” for them to get a seat on the Northern line to London Bridge using the badge, despite being at risk of passing out.
Another added: “I had someone basically just shout at me and flat out say ‘no’.”
Others reported being threatened with being pushed off the train after asking people to give up their seat. Some said they had been questioned in the past about “what was wrong” with them when using the badge.
The TfL website states that badge and cardholders don’t need to explain their reasons for using it.
Tfl told the BBC the incidents were unacceptable. They asked the BBC to put them in touch with customers affected and they encouraged other passengers to be alert to the needs of people who need a seat.
