A commuter has said they will continue to confront people playing videos and music on public transport, despite the government announcing a crackdown with fines of up to £1,000.
Writing for Metro, Ross McCafferty, Opinion and Analysis Editor, described an incident on the Tube where he confronted a man watching Instagram reels and TikTok videos at full volume. After staring at the man's screen, McCafferty said: ‘look mate, if you're going to insist I hear the videos, I might as well watch them.’ The man then put his headphones in.
What the government announced
Andy Burnham has announced that the government will crack down on those playing music and videos on public transport, with fines going up to £1,000. However, McCafferty argues that a single thing will not change, despite what he calls a ‘vibes-based government’ launching another ‘small things that still matter to people’ policy.
The government is planning to launch a slogan of ‘share the journey not the noise’, but McCafferty doubts the advertising campaign will have an impact when there is no one to enforce it.
Existing law already in place
McCafferty points out that it is already against the law to play music on trains. Since 2005, those who have been asked to stop playing music and refuse can be removed at the next station or face fines of up to £1,000, essentially treated the same as fare dodgers.
He questions how many people have seen action taken against those breaking these rules in the 20-odd years since it was introduced, noting that train companies take thousands of pounds off commuters a year while offering a poor service.
New policy on buses
The policy that is actually new represents one of Burnham's hobby horses, buses, where passengers will face a £100 fixed penalty notice. This requires a system of enforcement involving local authorities, bus regulators, individual operators and passengers, who will be encouraged to report any noise to staff or the British Transport Police.
McCafferty concludes that although any ‘crackdown’ is welcome, once the hubbub has died down, there is rarely any practical change. He says he will continue to tell people to turn down their TikToks, even if they are watching an Andy Burnham speech telling them not to.
