In view of 16,000 cases of violations of rules in Metro premises, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has authorised station personnel to directly impose fines up to Rs 500 and realise penalties for offences such as squatting, littering, nuisance, traveling with undervalued tokens and obstructing officials on duty.
Cases of violations such as squatting, travel with undervalued tokens, nuisance, littering, refusal to provide reserved seats to ladies, senior citizens and the physically challenged, have been detected by DMRC ?flying squads? since July this year.
The DMRC personnel so far had been counseling offenders or handing them over to the police for producing before the Metropolitan Magistrate who was empowered to impose fines and imprisonment.
As there is only one Magistrate who has jurisdiction for the entire Metro network, it hampered the quick imposition of fines. ?To deal with this, DMRC decided to grant power on one Metro personnel at each of the 62 stations to impose and collect fines for offences within metro premises, including parking areas. The authorized person will be the station manager and, in his absence, the station controller on duty. The new provisions will come into effect immediately.
Offenders will be issued proper receipts for the fines collected and any person who refuses to pay the fine will be handed over to the police to be produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate, said DMRC in a release. ?As per the provisions, drunkenness, nuisance, spitting, squatting or quarreling will be punishable by a fine of Rs 200, forfeiture of pass, ticket and removal from carriage. Those found travelling without token or pass or beyond authorised distance can be fined an excess charge of Rs 50, besides difference in amount of fare.
Obstructing officials on duty and misusing the alarm will attract a fine of Rs 500, unauthorized sale of articles on Metro Rs 400, defacing Metro property Rs 200, taking offensive material Rs 200 and unlawful entry and walking on track Rs 150,? said DMRC.
Offenders found writing, pasting in compartment can be removed and those refusing to be removed can be fined Rs 500. Unauthorised sale of ticket will attract a fine of Rs 200.