Passengers in England could face fixed penalties of up to £100 under local bus byelaws, but councils must secure approval for their rules before enforcing them.
Guidance issued by the Department for Transport on October 19 sets out how local authorities should use powers covering excessive noise, vaping, littering and threatening behaviour. The legal powers took effect on August 5; Monday’s development is the framework for putting them into practice.
The guidance separates advice on making byelaws from statutory guidance on enforcement. Councils are expected to consult their communities and publicise the conduct their rules prohibit. A proposed byelaw must then go to the transport secretary for approval. The guidance leaves councils to choose their local priorities.
Enforcement is not intended to fall on bus drivers. Authorised officers, including transport safety officers and police, are to engage with a passenger, explain the rules and take enforcement action if the person refuses to comply.
The document also cautions against treating apparent intoxication as conclusive. Officers should consider whether behaviour reflects medication, a medical condition or another vulnerability, and balance enforcement with safeguarding.
A separate rail campaign announced the same day reminds passengers of existing rules on disruptive noise. Refusing to comply with authorised staff can lead to removal at the next station or prosecution, with a maximum fine of £1,000.
The two amounts belong to different enforcement routes. The announcement does not introduce an immediate £1,000 penalty for every passenger who plays sound on a phone, nor make every suggested bus byelaw enforceable across England.
