"It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey."
Passengers who play loud music on buses in England could face £100 fines in a government bid to crack down on antisocial behaviour on public transport.
The proposed crackdown also aims to tackle littering, vaping and threatening behaviour to improve journeys for passengers across the country.
Local authorities will be able to issue fixed penalties of up to £100 for offences on buses under new powers. However, the rules must still be approved by the Transport Secretary before they can be introduced.
The government has also launched a national campaign reminding rail passengers that playing loud music is already prohibited on trains.
The campaign will use the slogan “share the carriage, not the noise” and appear on train operator websites, social media and inside carriages.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “We’ve all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone.
“It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey.”
The behaviour has attracted criticism from passengers who object to others playing audio aloud on public transport.
Laws prohibiting loud music and singing on trains have been in place since 2005. Under existing powers, passengers who refuse to stop when asked could be removed from a train or fined up to £1,000.
The government said it had issued new guidance to local authorities on using powers introduced earlier this year to address loud music and other antisocial behaviour on buses in England.
The new rules would allow authorities to establish restrictions on bus services, with authorised officers responsible for dealing with incidents. Bus drivers will not be expected to enforce the measures themselves.
Transport for London (TfL), which operates the London Underground, already has byelaws prohibiting passengers from playing music or other content aloud.
TfL said enforcement officers would initially ask passengers to stop, adding:
“Most people comply at this stage.”
Those who refuse could be asked to leave the train or reported for possible prosecution.
The proposed crackdown has received support from transport campaigners and passenger representatives, although questions remain about how the new rules will be enforced.
Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the TSSA transport union, described tackling antisocial behaviour on public transport as “a step in the right direction”.
However, she said the government must “urgently confront the violence, threats and abuse faced by passengers and transport workers”.
She added: “Increasing the budget for British Transport Police is vital to protect people, respond to incidents and bring violent offenders to justice.”
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said the Conservative Party had “led the charge” against antisocial behaviour on public transport last year.
However, he argued that passengers and railway staff continued to face more serious problems.
He said: “Assaults against rail staff have risen by 68%, while prosecutions have slumped under Labour.
“It’s time for Andy Burnham to get serious about enforcement, tackling violence and protecting those who work on our railways.”
Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Olly Glover also questioned whether the government would provide sufficient resources to enforce the rules.
“Unless the government funds transport safety officers on the ground, these new rules won’t be worth the paper they’re printed on.”
Independent watchdog Transport Focus said its research showed personal safety and security had become fundamental to passengers’ confidence in the railway.
Alex Campbell, of Transport Focus, said: “Four in 10 passengers say that anti-social behaviour has made them feel vulnerable when travelling.
“Measures that reduce nuisance behaviour, such as playing loud music and vaping, can help improve people’s experience and encourage more people to choose public transport.”
