Singapore increases fines for bus passengers who play loud music, eat, or rest feet on seats

Bus passengers in Singapore now face fines of up to 500 Singapore dollars for behaviors such as placing feet on seats, listening to loud music, consuming food or drinks, and littering in the vehicle.

For more serious violations, the penalty can reach 5,000 Singapore dollars. This includes obstructing or endangering passengers at bus terminals, as well as soiling the buses, stations, or terminals themselves.

These measures were made public on Monday by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore, which stressed that the goal is to create a safer, more orderly, and more pleasant public transport environment for everyone.

The new rules bring the bus system closer to the MRT rail network, where prohibitions and sanctions for such actions, including eating on trains, have long been in place.

Until now, such behaviors on buses were mainly handled through transport company regulations. Drivers could ask passengers to stop the disturbing actions or get off the bus. Now, some of these actions have become official legal offenses and can be punished with fines.

Notices of violations will be issued by authorized transport staff, such as ticket inspectors and terminal staff. Bus drivers, known as “captains” in Singapore, will not have this authority, because their primary duty is the safe driving of the vehicle. However, they can call on passengers to stop the annoying behavior. In case of refusal, the passenger may be ordered to alight from the bus, and in serious situations, the police may intervene.

Singapore is not the only country tightening measures to curb disruptive behavior on public transport. In Krakow, Poland, new rules foresee fines for passengers who disturb the peace in vehicles by using mobile phones or other electronic devices. In the United Kingdom, existing laws prohibit antisocial behavior on trains and at stations, including the use of devices that emit sound without permission, when this disturbs others. Some politicians have also proposed specific fines for people who listen to music or watch videos loudly without headphones on public transport, with penalties that can reach up to 1,000 pounds.

Transport authorities in these countries are increasingly setting rules for passenger behavior, with the aim that shared spaces become quieter and more comfortable.

“Public transport is a shared space, and every passenger has a role to play in creating a polite and pleasant traveling environment,” LTA stated.