Vapers across the UK could soon be fined between £100 and £1,000 for vaping at bus stops, under new laws being considered by Parliament.
The proposed changes would grant authorities such as Transport for London the power to issue fixed penalty notices to people caught vaping in certain public areas.
There are currently no strict laws banning vaping in public, but most transport operators, including buses, trains, planes and stations, generally prohibit it.
Under the new legislation, transport authorities will be able to impose fines of up to £100, which could increase to up to £1,000 if the fines remain unpaid.
All fines will be issued at the discretion of authorities, and rules would apply to both open-air bus stops as well as enclosed shelters.
A Department for Transport spokesperson told The Mirror that the department will issue guidance that fines should only be issued as a last resort if initial warnings are ignored.
Vaping advocates have criticised the move, claiming it is being quietly introduced under the guise of broader legislation aimed at improving bus services and cracking down on anti-social behaviour such as fare-dodging and smoking.
Shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake said: “The Government is trying to crack down on vaping without being upfront about it. It’s giving puffed-up mayors like Sadiq Khan more power to mess with people’s daily routines.”
The move comes as new plans are unveiled to issue on the post fines for loud music on public transport.
Earlier this year, Sir Keir Starmer said “headphone dodgers” who play music or videos out loud on public transport are part of a wider problem of anti-social behaviour.
His comments at Prime Minister’s Questions came after a survey of Londoners found that almost two-thirds backed the introduction of £1,000 fines for noise offenders.
Recent polling by YouGov asked a sample of Londoners whether they would support or oppose the introduction of fines of up to £1,000 for people playing music or videos out loud on their phone speakers on public transport or at train stations and bus stops.
A total of 34 per cent of Londoners responding to the survey were strongly in favour – the highest support in the country – and another 31 per cent said they would “somewhat support” the idea.
A separate survey found that, nationwide, one in 10 people often experienced anti-social behaviour on public transport and 28 per cent sometimes.
However, more than half of respondents – 54 per cent – said they would not feel comfortable intervening and asking for the noise to be turned down.
New figures by HAYPP, obtained through an FOI request to TfL, revealed a staggering 188 per cent surge in complaints about vaping on public transport, with reports nearly tripling between 2022 and 2023.
TfL has recorded 204 complaints related to vaping on public transport, with the number of complaints nearly tripling from 26 in 2022 to 75 in 2023.
