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Indian Railways Warns Passengers: Using Phone on Speaker Can Lead to Fine or Jail
- •Southern Railway has issued strict rules stating that playing music or videos on speaker mode in trains can attract a fine of 1,000 rupees.
- •Offenders refusing to stop can face up to 6 months in prison and a fine of 5,000 rupees under the modified Railway Act.
- •Southern Railway has invoked Section 142 of the Railway Act under the Jan Vishwas Act to curb public nuisance.
- •Officials indicated that this rule may soon be extended to other railway zones and metro services across the country.
- •TTEs and senior commercial staff are authorized to penalize violators and run awareness campaigns in multiple languages.
Key Questions Answered
Passengers caught playing audio or videos on speaker mode or talking loudly on mobile phones inside trains face a spot fine of Rs 1,000 and can be removed from the train. Persistent violators risk facing up to six months of simple imprisonment or fines reaching Rs 5,000 under the amended Jan Vishwas Act.
Southern Railway has taken the strict step by issuing a circular across all six of its divisions to crack down on noisy mobile usage and public nuisance inside train coaches and stations.
Southern Railway is enforcing these regulations under Section 142 of the modified Railway Act via the Jan Vishwas Act. Additionally, Section 270 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) classifies acts that cause public annoyance or risk in public spaces as a public nuisance.
