The UK government has launched a nationwide campaign to tackle 'loudcasting' – the act of playing music or phone conversations out loud on public transport – with offenders facing fines of up to £1,000.
The campaign, which begins today, encourages passengers to 'share the carriage, not the noise.' It follows new legal powers granted to local transport authorities across England on August 5, 2026, allowing them to crack down on the habit, which has been dubbed 'bare beating' by Metro. Fresh guidance issued today outlines how authorities can implement their own local rules.
New powers and penalties
Under the same penalty threshold, passengers can also be ticketed for vaping, littering, and engaging in threatening behaviour. Enforcement will be handled by authorised officers, including transport safety officers and the police. Audio reminders will be placed on the rail network to remind passengers of the rules.
However, science minister Chris McDonald, speaking on Times Radio, warned there will be no 'bus police' to issue punishments, and penalties will be issued 'in the same way that any rule or law is enforced in the UK.' Offenders will face a three-step enforcement approach: an initial warning, an explanation of the rules and their impact on fellow passengers, and, if they refuse to comply, a formal fixed penalty notice of up to £100. Persistent offenders can face further action, including removal from the network and fines up to £1,000.
What the announcement changes
Metro's Senior Political Reporter Craig Munro notes that fines for playing loud music on trains are not new. He points to existing railway byelaws that prohibit using any 'instrument, article or equipment for the production or reproduction of sound' to the annoyance of any person, with penalties up to £1,000. The announcement's significance lies in the explicit campaign and potential for increased enforcement, though questions remain about how fines on buses will be applied, as buses typically lack conductors and drivers are not expected to enforce the rules.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed that no one was fined for playing music out loud in 2024, with only one warning issued.
Global precedents
The campaign follows similar measures elsewhere. Kraków, Poland, introduced rules in January banning speakerphone use on buses and trams, with fines of 200 zloty (£39.18). Chennai, India, introduced a rule in July fining passengers up to Rs 2,500 (£19.68) for playing music or videos without earphones. Singapore's Land Transport Authority also introduced regulations in September fining up to S$500 (£295.44) for disruptive behaviour on its bus network.
