Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reports that starting from September 23, behaviors such as loud music and videos played on buses, littering, placing feet on seats, and eating or drinking on buses have been identified as illegal activities. Violators may face a fine of up to 500 Singapore dollars (approximately 2623 yuan).
More serious behaviors, such as blocking other passengers on the site, endangering the safety of others, or urinating and defecating in public, can result in a maximum fine of 5000 New Zealand dollars (approximately 26,234 RMB).
Currently, there are corresponding regulations regarding such disturbances and uncivilized behavior in subway trains and subway stations. The Singapore Transport Authority announced on the 21st that it will expand the regulatory framework to buses, transfer stations, and terminals, in order to standardize the rules for dealing with disturbances and disruptive behavior in both buses and subways.
Singapore Transport Authority stated in its announcement that when dealing with behavior that disturbs other passengers on buses, the primary consideration is to minimize inconvenience to other passengers while also avoiding affecting bus services.
Authorized public transportation personnel, such as ticket inspectors and station staff, can issue violation notices to those suspected of violations. The Land Transport Authority will then conduct an investigation. Bus drivers are not authorized to issue violation notices, to ensure their safety in driving.
However, the driver can still, according to existing transport regulations, advise passengers to stop causing disturbances or disrupting order. If the passenger refuses to listen, the driver may ask them to get off the vehicle.
A similar law enforcement mechanism has been implemented in the Singapore subway network. According to data released by the MRTA earlier, from June to September 2025, the Singapore subway issued a total of 59 violation notices for uncivilized behavior. This represents an average of about 15 notices per month, which is significantly lower compared to the previous monthly average of about 27 notices. The related violations mostly involved eating in subway stations or on trains.
The public welcomed the new regulations, but was also concerned about the actual enforcement results.
Retired person Zou Meihua (61 years old) said that it is quite common for passengers to play music or videos loudly on public transportation vehicles. Even when reminded, some people are reluctant to reduce the volume or use headphones. She once tried to persuade a passenger to lower the volume of their phone, but the passenger insisted that the volume was already very low.
She believes that the new regulations are expected to improve such situations, but the key lies in how they are enforced. If the enforcement is insufficient, the effectiveness may be limited.
Thirty-four-year-old Weiwei An proposed that the authorities provide channels for the public to report illegal acts.
She pointed out that bus drivers must focus on driving, and ticket checkers do not always accompany the buses. Even when checking tickets on board, they only stay for a short time, so it’s unlikely they can keep an eye on whether passengers are breaking the rules throughout the journey.
