In England, playing loud music on buses will result in a £100 fine

The key facts

Fixed fines of up to £100 for loud music and other antisocial behaviour on buses in England; the rules require approval from the transport secretary
A nationwide rail campaign, 'share the carriage, not the noise', has been launched
The opposition and unions doubt enforcement and demand attention to violence on transport

New fines on buses

Passengers playing loud music on buses in England could face a fine of up to £100 as part of a government campaign against antisocial behaviour. The measures also target littering, vaping and threats towards other passengers. The government has issued local authorities new guidance on powers introduced earlier this year: they allow rules for buses to be set, but require approval from transport secretary Heidi Alexander. According to the government, bus drivers will not be responsible for enforcement — this will be handled by authorised officers, including transport safety officers and the police.

Rail campaign

In parallel, a nationwide campaign is being launched urging rail passengers to 'share the carriage, not the noise'. It will be promoted on operators' websites, on social media and in carriages. The government said this will end the existing 'patchwork' approach of different operators and create 'a single consistent message across the network'. Under existing powers, those who refuse to turn down loud audio can be removed from a train or fined up to £1,000.

Context and support

The phenomenon of playing music loudly from a phone is known as 'loudcasting' or 'sodcasting'; surveys by Ofcom, YouGov and Transport for London in recent years have shown that the overwhelming majority of people find it unacceptable. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said that small changes in behaviour 'can dramatically change the experience of public transport'. Quote from Prime Minister Andy Burnham (as published by the BBC): 'We have all been on a train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone. It grates and can quickly ruin a journey'. TSSA transport union general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust called the measures 'a step in the right direction', but urged the government to 'urgently confront violence, threats and abuse' against passengers and staff and to increase the British Transport Police budget. Michael Solomon Williams of Campaign for Better Transport noted that antisocial behaviour can be 'a real deterrent' to using transport, especially for people with particular needs. According to Transport Focus, four in ten passengers said antisocial behaviour had made them feel vulnerable on journeys.

Criticism and doubts about enforcement

Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said that after the Conservatives' antisocial behaviour initiative last summer, ministers had 'caught up' with the obvious, but pointed to more serious problems: the number of attacks on railway staff has risen by 68%, and the number of prosecutions in court, he said, has fallen under Labour. Liberal Democrat Ollie Glover remarked: 'Tough words mean nothing without enforcement. If the government does not fund transport safety officers on the ground, these rules will not be worth the paper they are printed on'. Williams of Campaign for Better Transport also questioned how the measures will be enforced: local authorities must ensure enforcement, but it is unclear how the police will be involved on bus routes where there is no British Transport Police.