Labour's pledge to tackle 'headphone dodgers' on buses falls apart as No10 says fellow passengers shouldn't intervene - and minister admits there's no 'special bus police' to issue fines

Andy Burnham 's pledge to tackle 'headphone dodgers' on buses was at risk of falling apart today amid confusion over who would enforce a crackdown. The Prime Minister on Monday launched a campaign to remind passengers to 'share the journey, not the noise' as part of action to tackle anti-social behaviour. Those disturbing others by not using headphones face £100 fines as part of the measures, which also seek to combat littering, vaping and threatening behaviour. But there were questions over how the proposed crackdown will be enforced, with a Government minister admitting there would be no 'special bus police' to tackle louts. The Department for Transport also stressed that bus drivers will not be responsible for enforcement, while Downing Street said other passengers shouldn't intervene. The announcement was made as No10 said Mr Burnham is attempting to fix 'some of the everyday issues that make life a little more difficult' ahead of next week's Budget. Local authorities gained the power to set and enforce their own rules on their bus networks this year. And guidance published on Monday by the Department for Transport set out how the new legislation can be used. Andy Burnham's pledge to tackle 'headphone dodgers' on buses is now at risk of falling apart The Prime Minister, pictured while he was Greater Manchester mayor in 2023, has launched a campaign to remind passengers to 'share the journey, not the noise' The Government's 'share the journey, not the noise' campaign also includes reminders of the rules already in place on the rail network. Train passengers playing music out loud can be fined up to £1,000 - or removed from the carriage at the next station - if they refuse to stop when asked by rail staff. Ministers said authorised officers, including transport safety officials and the police, would deal with incidents on buses as part of the crackdown. But, asked what should happen if no authorised officers were present on a bus service, Downing Street said it would not be up to fellow passengers to combat anti-social behaviour. The PM's official spokesman told reporters: 'It is for transport safety officers, the police and other authorised officers to have the powers to act. 'The point of these changes is to give them a quicker and more effective way of dealing with persistent anti-social behaviour. 'Clearly, we're not asking the public to compromise their own positions.' The spokesman added: 'This isn't about putting an officer on every bus and the problem isn't the same everywhere. 'What we're doing is giving local authorities the powers they need so that where anti-social behaviour is a problem, they can target their resources effectively and take action. 'There are already areas, including Greater Manchester, Leeds and the West Midlands, with officers working across their transport networks to reassure passengers and tackle nuisance behaviour.' Chris McDonald, the science minister, had earlier suggested there might be 'self-enforcement' of the rules. 'The country that we live in, we find that people have a lot of self-enforcement because people do tend to follow the law,' he told Times Radio. Pressed again on who would enforce the rules, Mr McDonald said: 'It will be enforced in the same way that any rule or law is enforced in the UK, it's no different to that. We're not going to create a special bus police.' He added: 'Anybody is able to make a complaint and if someone breaks the rules then they'll be able to levy a fine of £100, just in the normal way.' Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said that while the measures were 'well meaning' they were 'wholly inadequate' to deal with the 'avalanche of escalating abuse' faced by transport workers. She said: 'The proposed penalties are not going to deal with the issues facing workers. 'Our members are demanding and deserve protections at work that these proposals do not address.' Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden added: 'Labour are finally catching up with the Conservatives on issues passengers really care about. 'After we led the charge against antisocial behaviour on public transport last summer, ministers have worked out that nobody wants to endure pounding techno or blaring hip hop on a packed train or bus. 'But passengers and railway staff face far more serious problems. Assaults against rail staff have risen by 68 per cent, while prosecutions have slumped under Labour. 'It's time for Andy Burnham to get serious about enforcement, tackling violence and protecting those who work on our railways.' Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Olly Glover said: 'Tough talk means nothing without enforcement. 'Unless the Government funds transport safety officers on the ground, these new rules won't be worth the paper they're printed on.' Chris McDonald, the science minister, suggested there might be 'self-enforcement' of the rules but added there would be no 'special bus police' As he announced the 'share the journey, not the noise' campaign, Mr Burnham said: 'We've all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone. It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey. 'So we're launching a nationwide campaign reminding passengers to use headphones on trains. On top of that, we're giving local leaders new powers to tackle loud music, vaping and littering on buses. 'It's a simple thing, but one that will make journeys that little bit better for all of us.' Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'It is so frustrating when the actions of an inconsiderate few spoil journeys for the rest of us, whether that is vaping, littering or blasting music out loud. 'Even small changes in behaviour can make a massive difference to people's experience on public transport. 'That's why we're empowering local leaders to shape bus services around the needs of their communities and taking advantage of publicly owned train operating companies to encourage people to be considerate of others on public transport and reminding them of the potential consequences if they aren't.' The powers for authorities on bus enforcement come from the Bus Services Act 2025, which was backed by MPs in September last year.