• March 19, 2024

Smokers get bullet from trains

 Smokers get bullet from trains

China Railway Corporation is getting tough on passengers who ignore its smoking ban, after an increase in reported violations, according to a story at CRIEnglish.com.

In the future, offenders will be liable not only to fines of up to 2,000 yuan but will face restrictions on buying tickets for bullet trains.

As a result of the new policy, first-time offenders will be able to buy a ticket only after signing a pledge that they will not smoke on trains in the future.

Two-time offenders would be prevented from taking bullet trains altogether; or at least until officials decide how long such a ban should last.

Bullet trains are fully enclosed and smoking inside carriages tends to trigger fire alarms, which causes the slow running of these trains or even emergency stops.

The authority introduced penalties of between 500 yuan and 2,000 yuan for smoking violations in 2014, but the measure seems to have had little impact on smokers.

Trains traveling in the southwest city of Chengdu saw at least one case reported every day in January last year, with trains having to make emergency stops after smoke alarms were triggered.