On-the-spot fines should be brought in on buses and enforced properly on buses, the Tories say – months after the Lib Dems called for the same thing and Kemi Badenoch suggested it might not work
Copycat Tories have demanded a new law banning loud music on buses.
The party has also called for tougher enforcement of rules on trains, slapping headphone dodgers with on-the-spot fines. Former Conservative chairman Richard Holden said passengers should not have to “endure somebody else’s choice of crap music”.
It comes months after the Lib Dems urged the Government to introduce £1,000 fines for nuisance music on public transport. A spokesman for leader Sir Ed Davey quipped: “At least the Conservatives are right about this, but it is perhaps ironic that Kemi Badenoch, who revealed that she told on someone cheating in an exam, is now peeking at our answers.”
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Current railway byelaws ban playing music “to the annoyance of any person”, and fines of up to £1,000 can be issued. But the Tories believe operators must do more to enforce the ban. And they will put forward changes to the Bus Services Bill calling for similar rules on buses.
Mr Holden said: “Inconsiderate and obnoxious behaviour blights the lives of the travelling public. Taking public transport shouldn’t mean having to endure somebody else’s choice of crap music blasted through a speaker at full blast.
“Rail passengers need to see enforcement and swift justice for those who make people’s lives a misery and bus passengers need the same laws to protect them against this nuisance.”
It is a far cry from Tory leader Ms Badenoch’s position in April, when she voiced scepticism about the Lib Dem plans. She said: “I don’t know whether many of the people who do those things could even afford to pay £1,000 fines.
“I’m not sure whether it would work, we would have to look a little bit more at that, but I’m very, very much against antisocial behaviour and I think that that’s something that we could be looking more at.”
The Bus Services Bill will give transport authorities the power to create byelaws and deploy officers to deal with low-level antisocial behaviour on the bus network. Existing laws allow passengers playing music which is causing annoyance to travellers or staff on buses to be removed.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “There are already strict rules in place to prevent antisocial behaviour on public transport, including possible fines of up to £1,000.
“We are also introducing further measures to help tackle antisocial behaviour on the bus network, including mandatory training for staff on how to respond to incidents.”
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