Singapore began enforcing new rules controlling passenger behavior on public buses and at bus terminals from 23 September. Passengers who play phone sounds loudly, place their feet on seats, litter, eat, or drink on buses may be fined up to SGD 500, roughly 13,000 baht. More serious offenses, such as obstructing or endangering other passengers, could incur fines up to SGD 5,000, about 130,000 baht.
Passengers on public buses in Singapore must comply with new behavior regulations starting Wednesday, 23 September. Those who play sounds loudly from phones or other devices, put their feet on seats, litter, eat, or drink on buses may be fined up to SGD 500, roughly 13,000 baht.
More serious violations, such as obstructing or endangering other passengers within bus stations and terminals, or causing any part of buses, bus stations, or terminals to become dirty or stained, may result in fines up to SGD 5,000, approximately 130,000 baht.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore announced details of these rules on 21 September, following the Singapore Parliament's amendment to the law in October 2025. This amendment enables regulation of passenger behavior on public buses, including within stations and terminals.
LTA stated that penalties for offenses on buses will align with existing rules controlling conduct on the MRT system, aiming to encourage passengers to be considerate and to foster a safe and pleasant travel environment for everyone.
Under the new rules, authorized personnel from the four public bus operators, including ticket inspectors and bus station officers, can issue "administrative offense notices" to individuals suspected of violations. LTA will then investigate the cases further.
However, bus drivers are not empowered to issue such offense notices to allow them to focus fully on driving and passenger safety. Drivers retain authority under bus service terms to warn passengers to stop disruptive behavior and may request non-compliant passengers to disembark.
If passengers refuse to cooperate, bus drivers may seek assistance from the bus control center or, in serious cases, notify the police.
LTA emphasized that despite new rules and penalties, agencies and bus operators will exercise discretion and act fairly toward passengers who behave inconsiderately, especially those with physical or mental health conditions. Managing disruptive behavior will focus on minimizing impact on other passengers without disrupting bus services.
These measures are part of Singapore's effort to enhance enforcement against disruptive behavior in public transport. LTA began tightening measures in March 2025 after installing public notices from December 2024 urging passengers to be more considerate, such as lowering volume, occupying only one seat per person, and not sitting on the floor. Additional signs on buses remind passengers to control noise levels.
When Singapore's Parliament considered and passed amendments to transport laws in October 2025, the government sought to harmonize legal standards addressing inappropriate conduct on buses and trains.
Examples of behaviors to be regulated include littering, eating and drinking, and disturbing others by playing music or videos loudly from mobile phones.
These new regulations fall under the Bus Services Industry (Control of Behaviour and Activities – Public Buses) Regulations 2026 and the Bus Services Industry (Control of Behaviour and Activities – Passenger Terminals) Regulations 2026.
The goal of these new regulations is to promote good passenger behavior on public buses and at bus terminals and stops, consistent with existing rules prohibiting disruptive conduct in the MRT network.
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