London rolls out badges for passengers with hidden disabilities

After a trial run last autumn, Transport for London officially released last week badges to encourage passengers to give up their seats to fellow travellers with ‘invisible’ disabilities

As of today, people with less visible disabilities can wear ‘Please offer me a seat’ badges when travelling in London. The move follows a trial run by Transport for London (TfL) last autumn, in which 72 per cent of those who took part said their journeys were made easier as a result of the badge.

“These blue badges will make a real difference to passengers who need a seat but just haven’t felt confident enough to ask for one. (…) I’ve no doubt they’ll soon become as recognisable across the capital as our popular ‘Baby on Board’ badges.” — Sadiq Khan, mayor of London

These blue badges will make a real difference to passengers who need a seat but just haven’t felt confident enough to ask for one.

“Many of our customers, particularly disabled people and people with hidden conditions, tell us they struggle to get a seat when they need one. (…) The purpose of the badge is to eliminate the need to explain to fellow passengers the reason for needing a seat.” — TfL spokesman