Liberal Democrats propose £1,000 fine for listening to music without headphones on public transport

The British political party, Liberal Democrats, have proposed a fine system for commuters on public transport who play music or watch videos without headphones.

The centrist political party, which has 72 MPs in the Houses of Parliament, would fine commuters up to £1,000 for breaking the proposed law. It is an amendment they have put forward for the bus services bill, which is currently going through parliament and would apply to England only, if approved.

European countries already have similar rules in place. As noted by The Guardian, earlier this year, a man was fined €200 for having a phone call on loudspeaker at a quiet area of Nantes train station in France.

The Liberal Democrats have issued Savanta polling figures, which they believe show public support for the campaign. According to the statistics, 38 per cent of participants had experienced people playing loud music from their phones often or sometimes, and 28 per cent said it was a rare occurrence.

Additionally, 54 per cent revealed they would not feel comfortable asking someone to turn down their music on public transport, and 63 per cent of women also said the same.

Lisa Smart, the party’s home affairs spokesperson, said: “Far too many people dread their daily commute because of the blight of antisocial behaviour – and headphone dodgers playing loud music on buses and trains are some of the worst offenders.”

“Whether you’re heading to work, taking your kids to school or simply trying to enjoy a moment of peace, everyone deserves to feel safe and respected on public transport,” Smart continued.

The spokesperson concluded: “Time and time again, I hear from people who say they feel too intimidated to speak up when someone is blasting music or other content from a phone or speaker. It’s time to take a stand for the quiet majority who just want to get from A to B in peace.”

The Conservative Party have also issued their support for the amendment.