Loudspeaker ban goes into force on Bus 71
Route No. 71 officially bans loudspeakers and excessive noise on Tuesday.
Route No. 71 conductors hold signs to remind passengers to abide by the new regulations at Tan'an E. Road Station.
City transit officials announced on Tuesday that excessive noise will no longer be tolerated on the No. 71 bus line.
Officials are seeking public input on draft regulations proposed last week that ban inappropriate behavior such as coughing or sneezing without covering your mouth, eating and drinking, taking off shoes, lying across seats and putting feet on seats or armrests. Anyone not complying will receive a warning.
Last month, the city’s Metro lines and Beijing-Shanghai high-speed trains also issued new rules banning noise in rail compartments.
Route No. 71 is a key bus line that runs through central Shanghai, with 60 million riders in the past four years.
“Noise bans don't mean complete silence,” said Zhang Zhuo, who’s in charge of the route. “We want to raise public awareness because many people have complained about excessive noise in public areas such as movie theaters and arenas.”
Zhang Yi, a conductor on the route, welcomes the new rules.
“Certain elderly people are especially loud on the bus and hard to persuade,” said Zhang. “Children sometimes eat snacks on the bus, making it difficult to keep buses clean.”
“I hope the new regulations are adopted, expanded and become common practice," said a passenger surnamed Xi.
Regulations on appropriate behavior are placed on all route No. 71 buses.
