Transport For London Posters Tell Passengers How To Stand Up To Abuse On Commute

No one should face abuse while riding on the subway, be it drivers, passengers, or tourists. As such, Transport for London (TfL) has launched a new campaign tasking travelers with standing up against hate speech on their daily commutes.

Created in partnership with creative agency VCCP London, the TfL Stands Against Hate—Bystander Intervention campaign sees vibrant, illustrated posters plastered on public transport vehicles to offer passengers actionable techniques to de-escalate situations.

The illustrations, created by London-based artist Raj Dhunna, will appear throughout the rest of 2023 on public transport vehicles, including buses and trains, so passengers can easily refer to them should an incident occur.

Interestingly, TfL was inspired to create this initiative following behavioral research that showed 63% of commuters indicated they would feel more confident intervening in abusive incidents if they had adequate information on what to do.

Miranda Leedham, Head of Customer Marketing and Behavior Change at TfL, said it isn’t enough for authorities to ask for passengers to step in when they see someone being abused, but “specific and memorable behavioral prompts” are needed for it to work.

Rather than tasking travelers with being the “police” on public transport, the effort hopes to equip them with information so they feel empowered and safe to support fellow commuters should abuse or offensive behavior occur on any of their trips.

“Not just a campaign to say that they won’t stand for hate crime on their network, but a campaign that teaches us all simple and memorable actions that are proven to make a difference,” summed up Caroline Rawlings, Group Creative Director at VCCP London.

[via The Drum and AdForum, images via VCCP London]