TfL is spreading awareness of its 'priority seats' - with a competition for schoolchildren to design a poster encouraging courtesy towards those who need them.

The youngsters are being asked for their creative talents for Priority Seating Week - with the winning artwork used on the London Underground and on buses to persuade adults — including their mums and dads — to offer their seat to those who may need them more.

Most Underground lines have marked ‘priority’ seats to help passengers who may need them, such as pregnant women, parents carrying young children, the elderly, disabled or people with health conditions.

But when TfL did research into priority seating with a panel of disabled passengers, it found many passengers on the DLR were unaware of the priority seats, which are “not visually distinctive” from other seating.

A priority seat on the Underground. Photo: TfLA priority seat on the Underground. Photo: TfL (Image: Darren Ruane) It could be that you haven't noticed the logos because the seats are already taken.

Add to this that it is not always obvious when someone needs to sit, and other passengers do not always pay attention to those around them, and many end up suffering unnecessarily.

New designs on the DLR are on their way to make priority seats more visible and encourage people to look up and offer their seat.

A distinctive priority seat on the Jubilee line. Photo: TfLA distinctive priority seat on the Jubilee line. Photo: TfL (Image: TfL) Staff on the Elizabeth line have been handing out badges that say “please offer me a seat” for those who find it difficult to stand, while TfL has been giving out “baby on board” badges for pregnant women.

But TfL hopes the Priority Seating Week and the talents of the children entering will make everyone more aware of the seats and the people who need to use them.

“Travelling around London has been made easier for thousands of people thanks to these badges,” TfL’s Mark Evers said. “It’s vital to make sure everyone can travel comfortably.

“But there is still more we can do to make priority seats more visible and encourage people to offer their seats to those who may need them.”

Three winners of the poster competition will get their artwork displayed on the transport network as well as tickets for a family of four to an entertainment attraction. Runners up get return tickets for the family for the IFS Cloud cable car.

There are also priority seats on busesThere are also priority seats on buses (Image: TfL) Other “accessibility” pledges by TfL include making half of all Underground stations step-free by 2030, more dedicated spaces for wheelchairs and buggies on the Bakerloo, Central and Waterloo & City lines and installing mini ramps where famously you have to “mind the gap” between the train and platform.

There is also a demand for more loos on the Underground, which TfL says it is looking into. Sounds promising if you’ve ever needed to spend a penny on the Tube.

The poster competition is open to children aged six to 14 to photograph their artwork and email it to TfL showing why it is important for people to offer seats. The deadline to enter is November 17.

Children can email their poster entries to “PrioritySeatingComp@tfl.gov.uk” by November 17.