Travellers are being urged to 'look up' and offer their seats to those who need them as people steadily return to public transport.

With very few coronavirus restrictions now in place and more people returning to trains and buses in greater numbers, passengers are being reminded of the need to give up their seat to someone who may need it more.

Transport for London is among those asking its customers to #LookUp and pay attention to the needs of fellow passengers when using its network and #TravelKind in the event that someone standing would benefit from being offered the chance to sit down.

In an attempt to raise awareness of the issue it has launched Priority Seating Week, running until Friday, with posters, social media campaigns and pop-up stands demonstrating the importance of offering seats to others on public transport.

TfL says a combination of more commuters and visitors means that people are now returning to the capital in greater numbers with riders on the Tube now above two thirds of pre-pandemic levels.

This week also marks the fifth anniversary of the Please Offer Me A Seat badge, which enables those with invisible conditions to identify themselves as needing a seat on public transport while also helping other travellers spot those passengers they should offer their seat too who may have less obvious accessibility requirements.

Mark Evers, Chief Customer Officer at TfL, said: "We hope that during Priority Seating Week even more people will benefit from using the badges, and that everyone travelling will be reminded that not all conditions are visible and will give their seat to someone who needs it more than they do."

More than 100,000 of the badges are thought to be in use on public transport since their launch in 2017, while Baby on Board pins are also another way pregnant women can easily identify their need for a seat on public transport while also helping fellow travellers avoid the potential risk of embarrassing another passenger.

Amanda Jacobs, suffers from various musculoskeletal conditions and says wearing a badge is the easiest way to make herself known to other commuters she boards with.

She explained: "It means that people who need to sit down don’t have to verbally ask their fellow passengers if they could have their seat, which not everybody may be able to do physically, whilst other people don’t always feel brave enough to ask.

"The badge is so important to me personally, because when somebody looks up, sees I need to sit down and offers me their seat, I can relax and not worry about being injured and unable to live a full life for several months - just because I couldn’t get a seat on the bus, train or tube and had to stand up. Such a relatively small action by a fellow passenger respecting my needs can therefore have a hugely beneficial influence on my life for months to come."

Adopting messages like 'please offer this seat' and 'someone may need this seat more' - many trains and buses also now identify parts of the bus or carriage that should either be kept free or offered to someone with greater needs should they board the service.

This may be because these seats offer greater space for items such as wheelchairs or walking aids or because those seats are closer to the doors, exit and entry points or the driver's cab in the event that someone with a disability needs further help.

Passengers who want to order travel badges from TfL, or learn more about accessibility on its network, should click here.