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SINGAPORE : It will be outright fines from now on for those caught eating and drinking in MRT trains and stations, as train operator SMRT said it will no longer issue warnings to offenders.
Over 500 station staff will issue Notification of Offence slips to commuters caught in the act. This is unlike the past practice where commuters were first warned and only fined if they persisted in eating or drinking.
Chia Chun Wah, deputy director of Stations Operations at SMRT Trains, said: "We are trying to eradicate this (habit of) eating and drinking both in the stations and the trains. We have been doing a lot of advisories to the passengers.
"Obviously, there's a certain limit where we can educate the passengers. Now we're going to this enforcement scheme and trying to educate passengers further and to refrain from eating and drinking in the systems."
Fines range from S$30 to S$500, depending on the number of times the commuter has flouted the rule. He will have to pay the fine to the Land Transport Authority directly.
Over 590 notifications were issued in 2008, more than double the 276 issued the previous year. - CNA /ls
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