Burnham plans fines for loud music on public transport

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 07:20 · Archive

Andy Burnham has announced new powers to fine people playing music without headphones on buses and trains.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced new powers to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport. Local authorities are being encouraged to use powers to levy fines for nuisance behaviour on buses and trains, including littering, vaping and listening to music without headphones. The Department for Transport has published guidance on how the new legislation can be used.

Burnham said the move addresses a widespread frustration among commuters. '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 stated. The announcement also prompted discussion of other behaviours commuters find objectionable, including people putting their feet up on empty seats and drinking alcohol on trains.

However, many regular users expressed scepticism about whether legislation would actually change behaviour. 'I'm not convinced that this problem will be addressed by our mostly privatised transport companies,' one commuter wrote. 'On trains there will often be too few staff to confront the individuals who may be potentially dangerous. It smacks of gimmickry.' Others questioned who would enforce the new rules, noting that existing laws were rarely enforced and that people already disregarding social norms were unlikely to care about fines.

How it is being reported

• ‘We’ve lost a basic sense of politeness’: UK readers reveal daily reality of public transportRegular users detail their frustrations – and question whether Andy Burnham’s crackdown on antisocial behaviour will actually work Andy Burnham has announced a campaign against nuisance behaviour on public transport, including “headphone dodgers” who play loud music . “We’ve all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone,” Burnham said in a statement. “It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey.” Continue reading...Guardian World · 23 Oct, 07:00
• The everyday annoyances our readers want banned after Burnham’s ‘headphone dodger’ crackdownFollowing the prime minister’s announcement of a renewed push to fine people playing music on public transport, disgruntled Brits took to the comments section to question the effectiveness of the move and suggest some other things they’d like to see the back end ofThe Independent · 21 Oct, 15:39

In this story: Andy Burnham · Department for Transport · UK

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