Smokers stubbed at rly stations

Smokers stubbed at rly stations
By S Lalitha, DH News Service, Bangalore:


It has been over two months since the Union Health Ministry issued a notification banning smoking in public places. While the State is still unable to implement it effectively, the Railways, which has banned smoking within the premises of any station since 2004, has been doing comparatively well. The recent ban (since October 2) has come as a bonus to the Bangalore Railway Division as the publicity given to it has further deterred the number of those puffing away on platforms.

A top railway official in the commercial section felt that the anti-smoking advertisements have created much awareness among train passengers. The statistics on the number of cases for the last two months when compared to the figures available for the corresponding period the previous years clearly reveal this, he added.
The official also related an anecdote to illustrate the decline in smoking at stations. The electrical connection in a portion of the City railway station suffered a sudden breakdown a month ago. “Officials scouted for a match box from those present at the station. But no one around possessed one. We then had to send a person to buy it from a shop outside,” he said.

A law barring smoking in stations was introduced in July 2004 with the fine amount then being a mere Rs 100. As the penalty did not appear to deter smokers, the fine was doubled the following year. Offenders have been regularly booked since then.

On revenues earned, he said that in the financial year 2006, 8,345 smoking cases were booked and Rs 16, 69,000 while in 2007, a total of 11, 275 cases were booked and a revenue of Rs 22, 55,000 was generated. “For the financial year 2008, altogether 5,985 cases have been booked and a sum of Rs 11, 90,000 has been earned. We clearly expect the revenue to go down by the time this year concludes,” a source pointed out.

On the manner of implementation, another railway source said that the Ticket Examiners posted at stations and travelling inside stations had been empowered to nab smokers and this has proved to be quite effective. At times, the RPF has also been involved when sudden raids have been conducted, he added.

Smokers, particularly illiterate travellers, used to protest hugely when they were penalised on a smoking offence earlier. Thankfully, awareness has spread now through different media and the fine gets paid up without much fuss, he added.