Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jul 19: Namma Metro commuters who play music or videos on speaker mode, watch content without earphones or engage in other disruptive behaviour can now face fines of up to Rs 2,500 under revised rules that came into effect on June 19.
The enhanced penalties have been introduced following amendments to the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002, through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has implemented the revised provisions to curb passenger nuisance inside Metro coaches. Chennai Metro also began enforcing the amended rules earlier this week.
Under the revised rules, commuters may be fined up to Rs 2,500 for playing music or videos on speaker mode, watching videos without earphones, shouting inside Metro coaches, using abusive or obscene language, travelling in an intoxicated state, spitting within Metro premises, sitting on coach floors, vandalising Metro property and engaging in indecent behaviour.
BMRCL said complaints about passengers using mobile phones on speaker mode have increased significantly in recent years.
During 2025-26, Metro security personnel cautioned nearly 57,000 passengers for playing audio or videos aloud inside coaches. Although the earlier law provided for a fine of Rs 500, officials said most offenders were only issued warnings.
The corporation also detected more than 1,900 passengers consuming food inside Metro trains during the same period despite repeated announcements prohibiting the practice.
The amended law has also substantially increased penalties for several other offences. Displaying posters, banners or placards, or staging demonstrations on Metro premises can now attract a fine of up to Rs 10,000, replacing the earlier provision of imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of up to Rs 1,000, or both.
Unauthorised entry into restricted areas, trespassing on Metro tracks or unlawfully remaining on Metro premises can now invite fines of up to Rs 5,000. According to BMRCL, track trespassing may also attract additional penalties under other legal provisions, taking the total liability to more than Rs 20,000 in certain cases.
BMRCL Chief Public Relations Officer BL Yeshwanth Chavan told The Times of India that the amended law prescribes substantially higher penalties for a wide range of offences. He said unauthorised entry into Metro premises can attract fines of up to Rs 10,000, while trespassing on tracks, disrupting train operations, defacing public notices and using counterfeit Metro tickets can lead to penalties of up to Rs 25,000.
Unlike Namma Metro, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) does not have legal provisions to impose fines on passengers for playing loud music or videos on speaker mode.
Although BMTC has instructed conductors to warn passengers causing a disturbance and ask them to alight if they refuse to comply, the transport corporation cannot levy monetary penalties under the existing rules. Officials said such violations continue despite similar instructions having been in force since 2019.