Sitting on floor tops list of Metro violations, over 22K fined this yr

BETWEEN JAN AND AUG THIS YEAR, 2,278 MALE COMMUTERS WERE FINED FOR TRAVELLING IN WOMEN’S COACHES, WHILE 604 WERE BOOKED FOR SPITTING

NEW DELHI: As many as 22,699 commuters were booked sitting on the floor of trains till August this year, making it the most violated rule in the Delhi Metro. Another 3,933 people were fined for causing nuisance, while 2,871 were caught trying to walk away from station premises without depositing tokens, according to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) data.

Other common offences include unlawfully entering coaches reserved for women and spitting inside stations and trains. Between January and August this year, 2,278 male commuters were caught travelling in women’s coaches and 604 were booked for spitting.

In 2014, only four people were booked for sitting on the trains’ floor. That number increased to 108 in 2015, and reached 1,521 in 2016 and 10,155 in 2017 – gradually becoming the most common offence.

Several passengers, however, complained that the offence of sitting on the floor of the trains does not make sense for those travelling long distances in packed coaches, especially during peak hours.

The DMRC has collected ~24.13 lakh in fines between January and August this year. Sitting on the train can attract a fine of ~200, while commuters have to cough out ~150 if caught spitting.