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AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021
AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021 UK Government announces £100 fines for ‘antisocial behaviour’ on public transport
Emily Sergeant
The Government has today announced plans to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport.
In a bid to crackdown on loud music, littering, vaping, and other threatening behaviour on buses and trains, guidance was issued by the Government today for local authorities to prosecute and even issue fines of up to £100.
For many, playing audio out loud on public transport – also known as ‘loudcasting’ – has become one of modern life’s most irritating parts of the daily commute, but now, a new national campaign is aiming to encourage rail passengers, in particular, to ‘share the carriage, not the noise’ to improve the journey experience for all.
This will include 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 £1,000.
On buses, however, the powers for authorities were already made possible by the Bus Services Act 2025, meaning all local transport authorities in England are able to set and enforce their own rules.
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Authorised officers – including transport safety officers and the police – will be responsible for enforcement, rather than bus drivers themselves, and they will be tasked with a three-step approach to deal with incidents. They will need to:
- Engage with the person
- Explain the rules and their impact on other passengers
- Take enforcement action if they refuse to comply
“We’ve all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone,” commented Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
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“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.”
Read more:
- ‘Wait until you get home’ – Northern pleads for passengers to stop watching ‘explicit material’ on trains
- Drivers warned of ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter
- Ryanair introduces immediate £500 fines for ‘unruly’ passengers
Ben Plowden, Chief Executive at the Campaign for Better Transport, added: “Antisocial behaviour is not just irritating, it can be a real deterrent to people using public transport – especially people with different accessibility requirements.
“If these new powers are properly and visibly enforced, they should help everyone feel safe and comfortable on public transport and enjoy the ride.”
Featured Image – Northern
An Interstellar Live in Concert show is coming to Manchester, with a live orchestra
Daisy Jackson
Arguably the most epic film of all time – with the most epic of soundtracks – is coming to Manchester as a live concert experience.
Interstellar Live will see the Manchester Camerata performing Hans Zimmer’s iconic score on stage, while Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning film plays out behind them.
Demand has been so high for the show in London that there’ll be TWO performances at the Co-op Live in Manchester.
The sci-fi epic Interstellar will be presented on the big screen at the arena, accompanied by a live orchestral performance of the score.
Interstellar Live will have both a matinee and an evening performance on 9 May 2027.
The concert will bring together Manchester Camerata, acclaimed conductor Martin Gellner, as well as Roger Sayer, the organist personally selected by Zimmer to perform the original Interstellar soundtrack.
It’s set to be an arena-scale celebration of one of the most acclaimed films and film scores of the 21st century.
The plot follows Academy Award-winner Matthew McConaughey as ex-pilot-turned-farmer Cooper, as he leaves his family and planet Earth to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars.
The film also stars Anne Hathaway, Sir Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck.
Interstellar was named one of the top ten movies of 2014 and received five Academy Award nominations including Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Score.
Interstellar Live will be at the Co-op Live in Manchester on Sunday 9 May 2027, with a matinee performance from 12.30pm and an evening performance from 6pm.
Tickets go on general sale this Friday 23 October HERE.
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Featured image: Supplied, Suzy Red
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