Passengers to be hit with £100 fines for vaping and playing loud music on buses and trains
"It’s a simple thing, but one that will make journeys that little bit better for all of us"
People who vape or play loud music on buses and trains could be fined £100 under new rules to tackling nuisance behaviour on buses.
This week, guidance was issued for local authorities to support their new powers to crackdown on loud music, littering, vaping and threatening behaviour on buses - including being able to issue fixed penalties of up to £100 for those who cause trouble.
‘Loudcasting’ on public transport has become one of modern life’s most irritating parts of the daily commute, and today a new national campaign aims to encourage rail passengers to ‘share the carriage, not the noise’ to improve the journey experience for all, as part of the government’s everyday fixes.
The campaign will include audio reminders of the rules in place on the rail network and, if a passenger refuses to stop when asked by authorised rail staff, they can be removed from the train at the next station or face fines up to a maximum of £1,000.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham 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.
"So we’re launching a nationwide campaign reminding passengers to use headphones on trains. On top of that, we’re giving local leaders new powers to tackle loud music, vaping and littering on buses.
"It’s a simple thing, but one that will make journeys that little bit better for all of us."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "It is so frustrating when the actions of an inconsiderate few spoil journeys for the rest of us, whether that is vaping, littering or blasting music out loud. Even small changes in behaviour can make a massive difference to people’s experience on public transport.
"That’s why we’re empowering local leaders to shape bus services around the needs of their communities and taking advantage of publicly owned train operating companies to encourage people to be considerate of others on public transport and reminding them of the potential consequences if they aren’t."
The powers for authorities on bus enforcement were made possible by the Bus Services Act 2025, meaning all local transport authorities across England are able to set and enforce their own local rules.
Bus drivers will not be responsible for enforcement.
Instead, authorised officers, including transport safety officers and the police will be able to deal with incidents.
The rail campaign will end the patchwork of current campaigns across different rail operators, helping create a clear, consistent message across the network.