Passengers who play loud music on buses in England could face fines of up to £100 under government proposals to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport, the BBC reports. The measures also target littering, vaping and threatening behaviour across all forms of public transport.
New guidance has been issued to local authorities in England on powers that, according to a government announcement reported by Policy Mogul, came into force on 5 August 2026. The powers allow local authorities to impose new rules on buses, though they still need to be signed off by the Transport Secretary before fixed penalties of up to £100 can be issued.
Trains, buses and the noise problem
Laws against playing loud music or singing on trains have existed since 2005. To accompany the new bus proposals, the government is launching a national campaign asking rail passengers to ‘share the carriage, not the noise’, running across operator websites, social media and in carriages. As the BBC reported in April 2025, current railway byelaws already ban using equipment to produce sound without permission if it annoys others, with those who refuse to stop potentially facing removal from the train or a fine of up to £1,000.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham used the announcement to highlight how widespread the problem is. ‘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,’ he said. The behaviour has attracted various nicknames, including loudcasting and sodcasting. Separate surveys by Ofcom, YouGov and Transport for London (TfL) have each found that most people object to the practice.
The government has said bus drivers will not be responsible for enforcement. Authorised officers, including Transport Safety Officers and the police, will handle incidents instead. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Chris McDonald, Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, said passengers have the option of complaining to staff ‘or the British Transport Police if they wish’, adding: ‘They don’t have to tackle the individual themselves if they don’t feel confident to do that.’
TfL already has byelaws in place prohibiting people from playing music or content aloud. It said enforcement officers will ask passengers to stop in the first instance. ‘Most people comply at this stage,’ TfL said, but noted that those who refuse may be asked to leave or could be reported for possible prosecution.
Questions over enforcement and staff safety
The proposals have drawn broad support but also persistent questions about how the rules will actually be enforced in practice. Justin from Newcastle-upon-Tyne welcomed the announcement but told the BBC that noise on public transport had already stopped him from using buses ‘due to the levels of antisocial behaviour including this unwanted attendance to someone’s social media doom scrolling audio concert’.
Dave from Derby raised a more pointed concern: ‘Who is going to police this legislation on a bus? The solo driver? I think not as he would probably be verbally abused at best and assaulted at worst.’
Michael Solomon Williams from the Campaign for Better Transport told the BBC that antisocial behaviour could be a ‘real deterrent’ to people using public transport, particularly for those with different accessibility needs. He also questioned how enforcement would work where British Transport Police are not typically present on bus services.
Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the TSSA transport union, said tackling antisocial behaviour was ‘a step in the right direction’ but urged the government to ‘urgently confront the violence, threats and abuse faced by passengers and transport workers’. She called for an increased budget for British Transport Police.
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden welcomed action on antisocial behaviour but argued passengers and railway staff face more serious threats. ‘Assaults against rail staff have risen by 68%, while prosecutions have slumped under Labour,’ he said, calling on Andy Burnham to focus on violence and worker protection. Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Olly Glover said the new rules ‘won’t be worth the paper they’re printed on’ unless the government funds transport safety officers on the ground.
Independent watchdog Transport Focus said its research found that ‘four in 10 passengers say that anti-social behaviour has made them feel vulnerable when travelling’. Alex Campbell from Transport Focus said measures that reduce nuisance behaviour ‘can help improve people’s experience and encourage more people to choose public transport’.
