England Introduces £100 Fixed Penalties for Loudcasting on Buses as Government Issues New Antisocial Behaviour Guidance to Local Authorities

The UK government has issued new guidance to local authorities in England granting powers to impose fixed penalty notices of up to £100 on bus passengers who play loud music or videos from their phones without headphones, a practice widely termed 'loudcasting' or 'sodcasting'. The measures also cover littering, vaping, and threatening behaviour on public transport. New rules on buses still require sign-off by the Transport Secretary before they take effect; local authorities, not bus drivers, will be responsible for enforcement through Transport Safety Officers and police. A parallel national awareness campaign, 'share the carriage, not the noise', is being launched across rail operator websites, social media and carriages to replace what the government called a 'patchwork' of inconsistent approaches. Under existing rail powers, passengers who refuse to stop and are not removed can already face fines of up to £1,000. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said small changes in behaviour 'can make a massive difference to people's experience on public transport'. The TSSA union's general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust welcomed the step but called on government to also address violence against transport workers and increase British Transport Police funding. Campaigners and opposition MPs have raised enforceability concerns, particularly where British Transport Police does not routinely patrol bus services.