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UK Government announces £100 fines for ‘antisocial behaviour’ on public transport
"It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey."
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.
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.
“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.”
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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
News
Police provide update after stabbing of 14-year-old boy at Manchester Arndale carpark
Emily Sergeant
Police have provided an update following the stabbing of a young boy in Manchester city centre over the weekend.
At around 3:15pm this past Saturday afternoon (17 October 2026), officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to reports of a stabbing on the ninth floor of the Arndale carpark in Manchester city centre.
Emergency services attended the scene, and a 14-year-old boy was taken to hospital with injuries consistent with a stab wound.
Thankfully, the victim’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life changing, but an investigation and enquiries are ongoing.
Detective Inspector Sam Jones, of GMP’s City of Manchester District CID, said this will ‘understandably’ cause concern, but has assured the public that police believe this to be an ‘isolated incident.
“Detectives at the scene are working extremely hard to process the scene with Crime Scene Investigators,” explained DI Jones in an update statement issued.
“The car park is expected to be closed for several hours, so we ask for your understanding and patience whilst we gather evidence to bring these offenders to justice.
“Detectives and Officers will be in the area today to speak with local businesses and members of the public to provide reassurance. This is believed to be an isolated incident with no risk to the wider public.
“Greater Manchester Police are committed to diligently investigating all knife crime and bringing offenders to justice, and we are asking for anyone with information about this incident to come forward to assist with our enquiries.”
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Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log 2050 of 17/10/2026, or via the LiveChat function. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
TfGM issues statement as ‘essential’ work begins on three major Metrolink lines across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Passengers are being urged to plan ahead as no trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester lines for the next two weeks.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has now issued a statement on the ‘essential’ works being carried out.
If you need bringing up to speed a little, as part of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network, essential improvement work is being carried out on three major Metrolink lines across the region in a bid to make the network ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable for passengers’ for years to come.
This means that from today (Monday 19 October) through to Sunday 1 November, tram improvement works will take place at Deansgate-Castlefield, and Trafford Bar.
Additional works will also take place in the city centre during this time, allowing TfGM to keep closures of the tram network to a minimum.
During the dates above, no trams will run on the Altrincham, Trafford Centre, and Eccles lines.
A number of shuttle bus services will the running over the course of the two-week closure, however – with services arriving every 10 or 15 minutes, depending on the line, and you can find a full list of these here.
But despite the alternative services, widespread disruption is still expected for hundreds of people.
TfGM has issued a statement on the works being carried out, and offered support to anyone who may need it: “This is essential work that will help keep our tram network safe, reliable and fit for the future. We’re sorry for the disruption and we’ll be doing everything we can to make sure people can still get around while it’s taking place.
“We’ve listened carefully to feedback from customers during previous closures and have introduced more direct shuttle buses between key locations and extra buses on local Bee Network routes.
“If you use any of the affected lines, now is the time to check your travel plans.
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“We’d encourage everyone to visit the Bee Network website or app before travelling so they can see the options available to them and allow extra time where necessary.”
Services will resume on these lines from start of service on Monday 2 November.
However there will be some minor route changes through the city centre in place from Monday 2 to Wednesday 4 November, so it’s important to check your journey before you travel.
Featured Image – TfGM
Emily Sergeant -
19th October 2026 
