Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Dec 31: Metro passengers will no longer be allowed to engage in certain activities during their journey, and violations will attract penalties along with the registration of cases, officials have said. Watching reels, speaking loudly on mobile phones and consuming food inside metro trains will now invite fines as well as legal action.

Lacs of commuters use the metro every day to travel quickly from one place to another. During these journeys, many passengers use mobile phones for entertainment. However, several passengers have been watching reels or YouTube videos without using earphones, causing inconvenience to fellow commuters. Although such practices were prohibited earlier, repeated violations have prompted authorities to strictly enforce penalties.

Complaints have been received regarding passengers playing mobile phones at high volume, speaking loudly using Bluetooth devices, eating food inside metro coaches and consuming tobacco. According to data from December 5 to 25, cases were registered against 6,520 passengers for creating loud noise. A total of 268 cases were booked for consuming food inside the metro, while 641 cases were registered under tobacco-related violations.

In all, 7,429 cases were registered over a 20-day period, said metro chief public relations officer Yashwant Chavan. Several metro commuters have welcomed the decision, stating that the enforcement of these rules would make travel more comfortable for passengers.