Railway zones will use public-address systems to urge passengers to refrain from playing loud music or videos on mobile phones on trains and railway premises, warning that violations could attract fines of up to Rs 1,000 and/or imprisonment for up to six months.
According to a PTI report, In a circular dated October 6, Southern Railway has directed its divisions to educate passengers that playing music or videos on speaker mode and engaging in loud conversations on trains or railway premises could invite legal action.
Northern and Western Railway have also decided to initiate measures to curb the widespread misuse of mobile phones on trains.
"It is a right move by the Southern Railway zone. It is high time that passengers were asked to discipline themselves and use headphones while listening to music or watching videos," a senior Northern Railway official said.
Passengers should be made aware that amendments to railway laws now allow authorities to penalise or prosecute those who use mobile phones in ways that inconvenience fellow travellers, the official added.
Officials said several complaints had been received through Rail Madad, the railways' grievance redressal and assistance system, from passengers reporting fellow travellers playing loud music through speakers in air-conditioned coaches.
The Southern Railway circular noted that widespread access to mobile internet had made playing videos and other content through speakers increasingly common in public spaces, necessitating measures to prevent inconvenience to passengers.
A senior Western Railway official said recent amendments to railway laws would allow authorities to deal more firmly with mobile phone-related nuisance.
The Railway Board had issued directives to all zones in 2012 to urge passengers, through public-address announcements and stickers displayed in coaches, to refrain from using mobile phones in ways that affected the comfort of fellow travellers, the official said.
However, the absence of a specific statutory provision had made enforcement difficult at the time. The recent legal changes would now allow the railways to act more assertively, the official added.
Passenger bodies, however, have raised concerns about whether the measures can be effectively enforced.
"We welcome the decision and urge the railways to enforce it firmly. Merely issuing circulars will serve no purpose. Does the railways have the manpower to enforce it?" asked Basant Kumar Shukla, a Nagpur-based railway passenger association representative.
He pointed to a shortage of Railway Protection Force personnel and train ticket examiners, saying several complaints, including those concerning unauthorised entry into coaches, berth encroachment, cleanliness and water supply, often went unattended.
(With inputs from PTI)