Commuters playing loud music on a Singapore face fine

International

By Patricia Andrea Pateña-Matheu

TURN up the volume on a Singapore bus and it could now cost you.

New rules allow fines of up to S$500 ($391; £293) for playing loud audio, putting feet on seats, eating, drinking and littering.

More serious offenses can carry fines of up to S$5,000, including causing an obstruction or danger to fellow commuters at bus interchanges and terminals, or soiling any part of a public bus, interchange or terminal.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced the regulations on Monday, bringing bus rules more closely in line with those already governing Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network.

The LTA said the measures are intended to create a safer and more considerate environment for public transport users.

“These will foster a safer, more considerate and pleasant public transport environment for all,” the LTA said in a news release, as quoted by the BBC.

While certain behaviours, such as eating onboard, have long been prohibited on the MRT, rules on buses were previously more commonly enforced through individual operators’ policies. Drivers could ask passengers to leave if they refused to comply.

Under the new regulations, the specified behaviours are now official offences that can result in fines.

Authorised bus personnel, including ticket inspectors and bus interchange staff, can issue official notices to passengers suspected of committing an offence.

Bus drivers, known locally as “captains”, will not have the same enforcement powers. They can still instruct passengers to stop disruptive behaviour while focusing on safely operating their vehicles.

Passengers who refuse to cooperate may be asked to leave the bus. More serious incidents could result in police intervention.

Singapore’s changes come as other public transport systems also impose rules targeting disruptive behaviour.

In Kraków, Poland, commuters can face fines of up to 200 złoty ($52; £39) for using mobile phones and other electronic devices in ways that disturb the peace inside vehicles.

In the UK, existing laws cover anti-social behaviour on trains and at stations, including the unauthorised use of sound-producing equipment when it annoys other passengers. Some politicians have also proposed fines of up to £1,000 for people who play music or videos aloud on public transport.

The LTA said public transport users share responsibility for maintaining a considerate commuting environment.

“Public transport is a shared space, and every commuter has a part to play in ensuring a gracious and pleasant commuting environment,” said Singapore’s LTA in the same article.(MyTVCebu)