Bus manspreading ban starts

Speakers: Li Ningjing and Sam Duckett 

[Photo: Baidu.com] 

Commuters on Madrid's buses have long been banned from putting their feet on seats or smoking, but from this week a new prohibition is in place, targeting male passengers: no "manspreading."

The practice of men sitting in public transport with their legs wide apart, taking up more than one seat, has long been an irritant and the term "manspreading" appeared in 2014 in New York following a campaign against it there.

In Madrid, buses have since Thursday been kitted out with stickers banning the habit, which appears next to signs telling passengers to use their phones in moderation and keep things tidy.

The stickers are due to be rolled out in 2,000 buses belonging to Madrid's Municipal Transport Company.   

The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI.