Phone on speaker in train? You may be fined, jailed

As per law, creating a nuisance in Metro rail also attracts a penalty and such persons can be removed from coaches (AI image)

NEW DELHI: In a move that could bring relief to railway passengers disturbed by people playing music or watching videos on their phones in speaker mode and check the growing menace, Southern Railway has warned that such behaviour could attract a penalty of Rs 1,000 and lead to removal from railway premises, including coaches. People persisting with such an act could even face up to six months of jail and up to Rs 5,000 penalty.Southern Railway has invoked Section 142 of the Railways Act, as amended under the Jan Vishwas Act, to enforce provisions dealing with causing a nuisance.Officials said that the provision can be invoked by other railway zones and even by Metro systems to check such behaviour, which adversely affects the comfort of other passengers. As per law, creating a nuisance in Metro rail also attracts a penalty and such persons can be removed from coaches.Section 270 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) defines public nuisance as an act that causes common injury, danger, obstruction or annoyance to people using a public right and hence amounts to an offence.In a circular issued to all its divisions this month and marked to Railway Board, Southern Railway flagged the problem of passengers playing music or audio through speakers at railway stations and inside trains, describing it as a “nuisance”.The circular also referred to a Railway Board communication issued in July 2012 on the use of mobile phones. The board had flagged issues such as “loud talking, lengthy conversations” and sound of objectionable ringtones inside coaches and asked all zones to create awareness against such practices.

Official communication from Southern Zone stated, “In recent times, with the advent of widespread mobile internet access, the playing of videos and other content in speaker mode is highly prevalent in public spaces. ln the present scenario, there is urgent need to put in place arrangements in order to ensure that travelling passengers are not inconvenienced.”It has directed its divisions to educate passengers on the relevant legal provisions and discourage them from playing music or videos in speaker mode or engaging in loud conversations while travelling or on railway premises. Awareness campaigns are to be conducted through public address systems in regional languages, Hindi and English. It has said that ticket examiners and other senior officials from commercial division can impose the Rs 1,000 penalty on offenders.