Sydney’s Northern Beaches Council has introduced a controversial new rule banning passengers in bikinis or without shirts from boarding its free community buses, citing complaints about “inappropriate attire” and hygiene concerns.

The dress code applies to the council’s 30-seat ‘Hop, Skip and Jump’ shuttle, which services coastal suburbs including Manly, Fairlight and Balgowlah. Signs at bus stops now instruct passengers to “dress appropriately” and require “clothing must be worn over swimwear.”

As per the Guardian, Deputy mayor Candy Bingham said some swimwear, particularly thong-style bikinis, can be confronting for elderly passengers and create hygiene issues when wet or sandy clothing soils bus seats.

“People are worried about the hygiene aspect when they sit on the seats … swimmers, wet from the beach and covered in sand, make a mess and leave the seats damp.”

Under the new rules, bus drivers can legally refuse entry to passengers whose clothing is “likely to dirty or damage the vehicle, or cause inconvenience or damage to other passengers or the driver.”

Council spokespeople noted that even dry swimwear cannot be reliably assessed for wetness.

The move has sparked debate online, with some criticising the council for policing beach fashion, while others support the ban as a common-sense measure. Cultural expert Lauren Rosewarne from the University of Melbourne said the rule reflects longstanding societal norms around public presentation, noting a persistent gender double standard in how women’s clothing is scrutinised.

The policy comes amid a broader trend in Australian councils regulating swimwear in public spaces. In 2025, the Blue Mountains Council prohibited G-string bikinis at public pools, citing similar hygiene and community comfort concerns.

Passengers now risk being turned away at the door if they fail to comply with the Northern Beaches dress code—a reminder that even in beachside Sydney, some standards still apply once you step off the sand.

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