There has been a five-fold increase in the number of cases registered against passengers found smoking on railway premises in the first seven months this year as compared to the first seven months of 2013, indicates the RPF data. Between January 1 and July 28 this year, 147 cases were registered by the RPF on Central Railway, as against 28 cases registered in the same period last year. Any person found smoking on railway premises is liable to a fine of Rs.100 under section 167 (smoking) of the Railways Act. A jail term is awarded in case the offender is unable to pay the fine. Following repeated incident of fires in trains, including the Dehradun Express train fire near Dahanu Road station that claimed nine lives on January 8 this year, the Railways has initiated a crackdown on passengers carrying inflammable items or smoking on railway premises. During the crackdown, a penalty of Rs 16, 250 was recovered from the offenders in 2014. “The increase in checks has created more awareness among people and ensured safety of railway passengers. The Railways is making efforts to remind people to not carry inflammable items or smoke inside trains or on platforms, as it endangers the safety of other people,” said Alok Bohra, senior Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF, CR (Mumbai division). A preliminary report by the CRS, held a mentally unstable passenger who was reportedly smoking inside the train, to be the ‘suspected’ reason behind the fire in Dehradun Express train. Among the other offences registered under the Railways Act, ticketless traveling continues to remain a challenge for the Railways. priyal.dave@expressindia.com
