A Tory mayoral hopeful has unveiled proposals to ban loudspeaker phone calls and playing music on London's transport network. Festus Akinbusoye, one of four men vying to become the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London, said he would employ hundreds of new TfL guards to patrol the Underground to enforce the ban.
Automated announcements planned
He said he would also set up automated announcements on trains to remind the public not to disturb other passengers with phone calls, music or videos. “On public transport, I don't want to hear your Stormzy,” he told the Standard. “I love Stormzy. I love music. But for my own personal use, not for the public to share with me on the Tube or me to hear about your next holiday to Ibiza being planned on speakerphone. “I just don't want that.”
Under current railway bylaws many forms of anti-social behaviour are already banned, with offenders facing fines of up to £1,000. However, there are growing calls for stronger action to tackle the problem across TfL’s network. Mr Akinbusoye added: “We can have an automated system that goes over at intermittent times, just reminding people about the rules of engagement on the public transport, just reminding people: look, this is a public space. “You know, remember, turn your phones [down], whatever it is, so people know that others know what the expectations are.”
Housing pledge for key workers
Mr Akinbusoye is a former Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner and current Westminster councillor. As part of his campaign to be selected as the Tory mayoral candidate, he has also pledged to build subsidised housing in inner London for Metropolitan Police officers and other key workers. He argued that London “absolutely has to have” cheaper homes for Met officers, nurses and teachers to “benefit everyone in the capital”.
He argued that high rental costs are pushing key workers out to the home counties or mean they are unable to start families in the city. Under the policy, key workers could be provided a subsidised home for the first three years of their career.
Selection race
Ex Home Secretary Sir James Cleverly is favourite to be selected to take on Lord Sadiq Khan or another Labour candidate if he does not stand in the 2028 election. Sir James, the MP for Braintree and a former London Assembly member, is the favourite to be selected as the Tory mayoral candidate, having already won the support of more than half the Conservative councillors in London.
But he faces competition from Mr Akinbusoye, chair of the London Assembly Andrew Boff and businessman Alex Challoner. A final candidate is expected to be chosen in December.
