Playing loud music in public transport in UK can lead to £100 fines under new crackdown

The UK government has launched a nationwide crackdown and awareness campaign aimed at tackling antisocial behavior, noise, and everyday nuisances on public transport.

Under the initiative—highlighted by a new rail campaign titled "Share the journey, not the noise"—passengers are strongly urged to use headphones rather than playing music or videos out loud on speaker.

Alongside the campaign, local transport authorities in England have been granted powers to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £100 for bus-related nuisance behaviors such as loud audio, vaping, and littering, subject to local rules approved by the Transport Secretary.

On the rail network, individuals who refuse to comply with requests to turn off loud media risk being removed at the next station and facing prosecution with fines scaling up to £1,000 under existing railway bylaws.

To protect frontline workers, bus drivers will not be tasked with enforcement; instead, authorized transport safety officers and police will handle infractions using a structured three-step approach involving engagement, explanation, and eventual enforcement if compliance is refused.