New guidelines from Mar. 10 to curb nuisance behaviour on buses: Baey Yam Keng

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be introducing new guidelines to crack down on nuisance behaviour by commuters on public buses from Mar. 10, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng on Mar. 5.

In his speech during the Committee of Supply (COS) debate, Baey said that authorities have stepped up patrolling and enforcement against inconsiderate behaviour on public transport, and will be strengthening regulatory powers to act against such behaviour.

These include cases when commuters eat and drink, play loud music and pose a nuisance to other commuters on public transport.

In more egregious cases, some harass others or even challenge bus captains.

What are the current measures?

On trains, prominent signage is displayed to warn commuters against nuisance behaviour, and offenders may be issued a notification of offence, removed from trains or even referred to the police.

Maximum penalties for each prohibited act are set at S$500, while more egregious offences such as soiling the railway premises can result in a fine of up to S$5,000.

At present, the regulations onboard buses are more limited than those for rail, noted Baey.

Public bus operators have their own processes in place to manage nuisance behaviour on buses, which prioritise minimising inconvenience to other commuters and avoiding disruption to bus services.

When a bus captain receives a complaint about a commuter displaying nuisance behaviour, they will first advise the commuter to stop the behaviour.

If this does not resolve the situation, the bus captain will contact their operations control centre for further guidance.

In serious cases, the commuter may be asked to alight from the bus or be referred to the police.

Those convicted of a public nuisance offence can be fined up to S$2,000, jailed up to three months, or both.

New guidelines on bus commuter behaviour from Mar. 10

Baey said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be introducing Conditions of Carriage (CoC) to provide for a safe and comfortable experience for commuters and bus captains.

These will establish guidelines on what constitutes safe, considerate and commuter behaviour on public buses, and will also set out what transport workers can do to alleviate situations with uncooperative commuters.

The CoC was developed in consultation with the four public bus operators and the National Transport Workers' Union.

An LTA spokesperson said the CoC will be available on the websites of all four public bus operators, LTA and SimplyGo.

It will be progressively put up at information boards at bus stops, bus interchanges and terminals.

These guidelines will take effect on Mar. 10.

Commuters who breach the terms may be asked to alight from the bus.

LTA and the transport operators will "exercise discretion and fairness" in managing inconsiderate commuters, especially those with physical or mental health conditions.

Baey said that by 2026, LTA's regulatory framework against inconsiderate behaviour will be aligned across trains and buses.

Offenders will face penalties based on the severity of the impact on other commuters, with higher penalties for repeat offenders, Baey added.

LTA said that it plans to share further details on the regulatory framework to manage commuter behaviour on public buses in the first half of 2026.

New prohibition signs on public transport

Since December 2024, new prohibition signage has been progressively introduced on the public transport network to encourage considerate behaviour among commuters, according to LTA.

Three new signs seen in MRT cabins urge commuters to keep noise levels down, avoid hogging seats and refrain from sitting on the train floor.

Currently, the signs do not indicate if there are any penalties for the three new prohibited acts.

A similar "Keep Volume Low" sign has been displayed in public buses.

LTA said that since the roll-out of the new signage, it has worked with the public transport operators to increase patrolling and enforcement of such offences.

In a previous statement to Mothership, LTA said that the new signage aims to "encourage more considerate behaviour among commuters and enhance the overall public transport experience".

LTA added that it is reviewing if enforcement measures and penalties against egregious behaviours on public transport need to be enhanced.

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Top image from LTA website & @bbshidah/TikTok