New powers for bus passengers
Local transport authorities in England can now set and enforce their own rules on buses, including fixed penalties of up to £100 for passengers who play music or videos out loud without headphones. The government's guidance to councils also covers vaping, littering and threatening behaviour, and it allows fines when passengers refuse to stop nuisance behaviour after being asked. The powers come from the Bus Services Act 2025. Any local rules will need to be signed off by the Transport Secretary. Officials stressed that bus drivers will not be expected to enforce the penalties, which will fall to transport safety officers or police officers instead.
Rail fines and the national campaign
Rail passengers face a steeper sanction. Those who refuse to stop when asked by authorised rail officers could be fined up to £1,000, and passengers travelling by train may also be tasked with improving their behaviour. Operators on the rail network can already levy penalties of as much as £1,000 for comparable conduct.
The government's campaign, which carries the slogan "share the carriage, not the noise", launches on Monday, 19 October. It asks passengers to use headphones, avoid speakerphone calls and watch videos quietly. The campaign will run across publicly owned operators and contracted services, including Great Western Railway, East Midlands Railway, Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry.
Political reaction
Prime Minister Andy Burnham presented the measures as a simple change that makes journeys better for everyone. In a statement, he said:
We've all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone. It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander framed the issue as one of consideration for other passengers, saying:
Even small changes in behaviour can make a massive difference to people's experience on public transport.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of the trade union Unite, called the measures "well meaning" but "wholly inadequate". Ben Plowden, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, warned that antisocial conduct could deter people from using public transport, and he said:
If these new powers are properly and visibly enforced, they should help everyone feel safe and comfortable on public transport and enjoy the ride.
London mayor Sadiq Khan ran a summer campaign urging passengers to "travel kind", including by wearing headphones. The Liberal Democrats have called for £1,000 fines for bus travellers as well as train passengers.
Enforcement questions
The biggest concern from other political parties and campaigners is how the rules will be enforced without funding more transport safety officers. Enforcement therefore depends on officers rather than drivers. It is also unclear how the new powers would apply to services run by Transport for London, even though London's bus network carries millions of passengers each day.
What happens next
Local authorities must draft their own rules, and those rules need the Transport Secretary's sign-off. The Department for Transport published its guidance on Monday, 19 October, and the campaign launches the same day. Further announcements on publicly owned rail networks are due to be broadcast.