Nexus backs move to issue £100s fine move for 'loudcasting' on buses
‘Any new initiatives to deter anti-social behaviour on public transport are welcome.’
Transport authority Nexus says it welcomes ‘any new initiatives to deter anti-social behaviour on public transport’ following government proposals of fines up to £100 for playing loud music.
The move is aimed as a crackdown on antisocial behaviour which also includes threatening behaviour, littering and vaping.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander have been driving home the message of “share the carriage, not the noise”.
Under the Bus Services Act 2025, all local transport authorities in England can set and enforce their own local rules. Bus drivers will not be responsible for enforcement. Authorised officers, including transport safety officers and the police, will be able to deal with incidents instead.
However, laws against playing loud music, as well as singing, on trains have been around since 2005.
Currently, rail passengers who are asked to stop their noise and refuse can be removed from a train or fined up to £1,000.
But bus offenders could also soon be issued with the fines under new powers for local authorities. The Tyne and Wear Metro already has its own bylaws.
The proposed crackdown has been welcomed by campaigners although questions remain over how exactly it can be enforced.
Olly Glover, Lib Dem transport spokesperson, has told the BBC: “Unless the government funds transport safety officers on the ground, these new rules won't be worth the paper they’re printed on.”
But Kevin Storey, operations director at Nexus, told the Echo: “Any new initiatives to deter anti-social behaviour on public transport are welcome.
“The Government announcement in relation to ‘loudcasting’ represents a change to the bylaws on the national railway network, and on buses, so that those operators can issue fines for playing loud music on their trains.
“As a local rail service, the Tyne and Wear Metro is governed its own set of bylaws, which prohibit fare evasion, littering, vaping, the consumption of alcohol, and anti-social behaviour.
“We will be looking carefully at what the Government has published today to see what implications this has for Metro and will communicate any changes to our customers.
“However, the playing of loud music is not acceptable on Metro. Anyone caught doing this by our customer service teams or our travel safe officers can be removed from the train.”