Eating, drinking and blasting audio on a public bus becomes an offence this Wednesday. The Land Transport Authority announced on 21 September 2026 that new regulations covering conduct on public buses and at bus interchanges and terminals take effect on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, with fines of up to $500 for everyday nuisance behaviour and up to $5,000 for the more serious offences.

> Quick view: What: nuisance and disruptive behaviour on buses and at interchanges becomes an offence · When: from Wednesday 23 September 2026 · Where: all public buses, bus interchanges and bus terminals · Penalty: up to $500, or up to $5,000 for serious offences · Enforced by: ticket inspectors and interchange staff, with LTA investigating

What becomes an offence

The two new sets of rules are the Bus Services Industry (Control of Conduct and Activities – Public Bus) Regulations 2026 and the Bus Services Industry (Control of Conduct and Activities – Bus Interchange) Regulations 2026. LTA's release groups the offences into two tiers.

OffenceMaximum penalty
Causing nuisance or annoyance to other passengers by putting your feet on seats$500
Causing nuisance or annoyance to other passengers by playing audio at loud volume$500
Littering$500
Eating or drinking on board a bus$500
Causing obstruction or danger to fellow commuters within a bus interchange or terminal$5,000
Soiling any part of a public bus, bus interchange or terminal$5,000

These are maximum penalties set by the regulations, not a fixed amount charged on the spot. LTA says they are aligned with the penalties under the existing Rapid Transit Systems Regulations, which already govern behaviour on the MRT and LRT. In short, the bus now plays by the same rules as the train.

Who can actually fine you

This is the part most people will get wrong. Your bus captain cannot issue you a notice. LTA deliberately left that power out so it does not distract from the captain's main job of driving safely.

Instead, empowered staff from the public bus operators, such as ticket inspectors and bus interchange staff, can issue an Administrative Notification of Offence (Administrative NOO) to anyone suspected of committing an offence. LTA then follows up with its own investigation.

Bus captains keep the powers they already had under the Conditions of Carriage, the operator rules introduced on buses in March 2025. They can:

  • advise you to stop nuisance or disruptive behaviour
  • require you to get off the bus if you do not comply
  • call the Bus Operations Control Centre for help if you refuse to cooperate, or the Police in egregious cases

So the realistic sequence is a warning from the captain first. A notice comes from an inspector on board or from staff at an interchange.

Where this came from

The regulations follow the Transport Sector (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, which Parliament passed in October 2025. At the time, LTA set out plans to align the framework against nuisance behaviour across buses and trains. Until now, bus operators could only rely on their Conditions of Carriage, which let a captain ask you to alight but did not make the behaviour an offence.

The fine print

  • Discretion applies. LTA says it and the bus operators will continue to exercise discretion and fairness, especially for commuters with physical or mental health conditions.
  • Interchanges and terminals count, not just the bus. The $5,000 obstruction offence is specific to bus interchanges and terminals, so blocking a boarding queue or a walkway there is covered.
  • "Nuisance" is the test for feet and audio. The wording is causing nuisance or annoyance to other passengers by putting your feet on seats or playing audio at loud volume. Earphones at a sensible volume are not the target.
  • LTA's release does not publish composition amounts or list exemptions (for example, for medication or feeding a baby). If that matters to you, check with LTA or your bus operator before you rely on it.

What it means for you

  • Finish your kopi before you board. Eating or drinking on a bus is now an offence with a $500 ceiling, the same as the MRT.
  • Use earphones for videos, calls and music.
  • Keep your shoes off the seats, including the empty one next to you.
  • At interchanges, keep bags and trolleys out of the queue and walkways. That is the $5,000 tier.
  • If a captain asks you to stop, stop. Refusing is how a warning becomes a Police matter.

This is a summary of LTA's announcement, not legal advice. Confirm the details with LTA or your bus operator.

Related

*Source: Land Transport Authority news release "New Regulations on Public Buses and at Bus Interchanges/Terminals Implemented from 23 September 2026 to Foster a More Pleasant Public Transport Environment", 21 September 2026. Penalties are maximums set by regulation and can be updated by LTA. Cover image: MissLobang designed graphic based on LTA's announcement.*