The Department for Transport, working with the Rail Delivery Group, a group of all rail operators plus Network Rail and HS2 and passenger groups such as Transport Focus, an independent watchdog for transport users, will review and identify “unnecessary” onboard announcements.
The aim is to cut down on “tannoy spam” by reducing repeating messages. Included in the cut will be self-evident instructions, announcements asking passengers for quiet and new maximum frequency for announcements.
I’m calling for a bonfire of the banalities to bring down the number of announcements passengers are forced to sit through and make their journey that little bit more peaceful.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps
The review will happen during this year with unnecessary announcements being reduced within months.
Labour have greeted the plans with scepticism with the Louise Haigh, the shadow Transport Secretary saying: “Tannoys aren’t the only thing that have fallen silent – ministers have literally nothing to say about the Conservatives’ cost of living crisis facing passengers as they hike up rail fares this year.”
The RMT union was also worried about overreach with a spokesman saying “The last thing we get is passengers complaining they have too much information.”
Picture Credit: Carlos Delgado