Ministers have urged the government to slap commuters who play music aloud with fines of up to £1,000.
The
Liberal Democrats
have called for stricter measures to be put into place when it comes to ‘headphone dodgers’, as they believe most passengers are too frightened to speak out.
The party has urged the government to prohibit this behavior by modifying the Bus Services Bill, which is progressing through Parliament. They argue that their stance represents the interests of the ‘silent majority.’
This new law aims to revamp bus services nationwide with the dual purpose of enhancing living conditions and increasing security for riders and employees from disruptive behavior. It plans to achieve this by providing additional training for drivers.
Nevertheless, the Liberal Democrats are urging the government to go an extra mile with the bill, proposing amendments to cover individuals who play music aloud during their journeys.
They additionally aim for revisions to the railway regulations, ensuring that the rule prohibiting high volume levels on devices is applied to train compartments as well.
A survey conducted for the Liberal Democrats revealed that almost forty percent of individuals have had their travel experience marred by videos or music being played loudly by fellow passengers on public transportation.
The study further revealed that more than half of British people were not at ease with requesting a nearby traveler to lower their audio volume.
A Liberal Democrat spokesperson named Lisa Smart said
The Mirror
‘An unfortunate number of individuals dislike their daily journeys due to unpleasant conduct, with those who play loud music using headphones on buses and trains being among the most significant culprits.’
Again and again, I receive messages from individuals stating that they feel too scared to voice their concerns when others play loud music or other audio through phones or speakers.
It’s time to advocate for the silent majority who simply wish to travel from point A to point B undisturbed.
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