Overview

• Posters urging headphone use went up on the Elizabeth line on Tuesday, with TfL planning a wider rollout across buses, the DLR, Overground and Tube through autumn.
• Conservatives plan Railways Bill amendments to require operators to enforce existing byelaws, publish compliance measures and issue on-the-spot fines, with parallel changes proposed for the Bus Services Bill.
• Railway byelaws already prohibit noise that causes annoyance and allow fines up to £1,000, though day-to-day enforcement usually involves staff asking offenders to turn sound off and prosecutions are rare.
• The Department for Transport says strict rules are already in place and is introducing mandatory training for bus staff on responding to antisocial incidents.
• Liberal Democrats previously called for fines up to £1,000 and a national publicity effort, while some Conservatives, including Kemi Badenoch, questioned the practicality and affordability of large penalties.