Listening to loud music on a Singapore bus? It’ll cost you

Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images

Most bus passengers know how annoying it is when a fellow commuter blasts music or has a loud conversation on speakerphone.

Now in Singapore, bus passengers could be fined hundreds of dollars for doing just that.

It’s part of a crackdown on “disruptive” behavior on public buses in the Asian city-state, with fines of up to 5,000 Singapore dollars (SGD), or about $3,900, for those who break the rules.

Passengers who cause “annoyance” to others by placing their feet on seats, playing audio at loud volumes, littering, eating or drinking on the bus could be fined up to 500 SGD ($390), according to a statement by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) , which oversees public transit in Singapore.

Serious offenses like causing danger to fellow commuters or “the soiling of any part” of a bus or other transit infrastructure carry a maximum penalty of 5,000 SGD.

“Public transport is a shared space, and every commuter has a part to play in ensuring a gracious and pleasant commuting environment,” said the statement from the LTA.

The new penalties align with pre-existing rules on Singapore’s subway system.

Unlike major US cities like New York, transit systems in Asia are largely known for their cleanliness, order and efficiency, and bans on drinking, eating and playing music on board are common. In Japan, for example, even chatting with fellow commuters is considered rude.

Singapore, known for its strict laws to enforce public cleanliness, is not alone in its efforts to create a more peaceful commute.

The issue has become particularly pronounced in London, where last year authorities launched an etiquette campaign to urge passengers to use headphones while riding the tube. Around 70% of London transit users said they found it disruptive when commuters played loud music or spoke on the phone loudly without headphones — a practice some have nicknamed “bare beating” — according to a poll commissioned last year by Transport for London.

Public transit operators in cities including Beijing, Kraków and Toronto have banned playing loud audio without headphones, though enforcement varies.

While some disorderly commuters may walk away with a verbal warning, others have had to “face the music” for their annoying behavior.

In February 2025, a man in France was fined $200 for taking a loud phone call on speaker while in a train station after he refused to turn the speaker off.

罗斯兰·拉赫曼/法新社/盖蒂图片社

大多数公交车乘客都知道，当其他乘客大声播放音乐或用免提电话大声交谈时，是多么令人恼火。

在新加坡，公交车乘客如果这样做，可能会被罚款数百美元。

这是新加坡政府打击公共汽车上“扰乱秩序”行为的举措之一，违反规定的人将被处以最高 5000 新加坡元（约合 3900 美元）的罚款。

新加坡陆路交通管理局（LTA）发布声明称，乘客若在公交车上将脚放在座位上、大声播放音频、乱扔垃圾、吃东西或喝饮料等行为“骚扰”他人，最高可被罚款 500 新加坡元（390 美元）。陆路交通管理局负责监管新加坡的公共交通。

严重违法行为，例如对其他乘客造成危险，或“弄脏”公共汽车或其他交通基础设施的任何部分，最高罚款为 5,000 新加坡元。

“公共交通是一个共享空间，每个通勤者都应为营造优雅舒适的通勤环境尽一份力，”陆路交通管理局在声明中表示。

新的处罚措施与新加坡地铁系统现有的规定相一致。

与纽约等美国大城市不同，亚洲的公共交通系统以其清洁、秩序和高效而闻名，车厢内禁止饮食和播放音乐的情况十分普遍。例如，在日本，即使与乘客聊天也被认为是不礼貌的。

新加坡以其严格的公共卫生法律而闻名，但它并非唯一一个致力于创造更和平通勤环境的国家。

这个问题在伦敦尤为突出。去年，伦敦当局发起了一项礼仪宣传活动，敦促乘客在乘坐地铁时佩戴耳机。伦敦交通局去年委托进行的一项民意调查显示，约70%的伦敦地铁乘客表示，通勤者在不戴耳机的情况下大声播放音乐或打电话会扰乱他们的正常出行——这种行为被一些人戏称为“赤裸裸的喧闹”。

北京、克拉科夫和多伦多等城市的公共交通运营商已禁止在未佩戴耳机的情况下播放大声音频，但执行力度不一。

虽然有些不守规矩的通勤者可能只会受到口头警告，但其他人则不得不为他们的烦人行为“承担后果”。

2025年2月，法国一名男子因在火车站用免提大声打电话，且拒绝关闭免提而被罚款200美元。