Ban on smoking in all City bus stops soon

Ban on smoking in all City bus stops soon
Vijay Times

THE Bangalore Metropolitan T ransport Corporation (BMTC), which imposed a ban on smoking in the Kempegowda (K G) Bus T erminus following the Supreme Court order on smoking, now plans to extend the ban at all its bus stops in the City .

The move to ban smoking has been welcomed by the public.

As of date, more than 700 cases have been booked against people found smoking in the premises of the K G bus stand.

A penalty of Rs 500 each was levied on those found violating the ban within the BMTC bus terminus and BMTC bus stops, sources informed.

Speaking to BVT , BMTC managing director Upendra T ripathy said that the ban on smoking in all the other bus stops would come into effect in the next few days.

"Smoking in bus stops creates problems to those waiting for buses.

This contributes to the air pollution too," T ripathy said.

"If a ban can be implemented in a place like the Kempegowda Bus T erminus, then implementing it in other places will not be difficult. A fact finding team to keep a tab on this will be formed," he explained.

K G Bus T erminus Assistant T raffic Manager V Nagaraj told BVT that the ban on smoking at the bus terminus had received widespread appreciation from the public and that this was an example for the other departments to follow .

"Following the success of the ban on smoking in this terminus, the KSRTC is looking forward to implementing the same in its bus stand also," he added.

"Of the cases filed against those found smoking in this terminus, 90 per cent of them were filed in the month of November alone," informed Nagaraj.

Apart from the ’No smoking’ boards displayed near the bus stand, announcements are also made every five minutes requesting people not to smoke in the bus stand premises.