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Metro Railways Law : Centere Proposes Amendments Through The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill ; Penalty For Rude Behaviour Increased
The proposed amendments seek to replace certain criminal punishments with monetary penalties, increase penalty amounts, introduce specific definitions, update statutory references and modify the chapter heading.
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The Centre has proposed amendments to the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002 through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, under which penalties for drunkenness, taking offensive materials or demonstration have been increased from the existing Rs 500 to Rs 2,500.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada.
The proposed amendments seek to replace certain criminal punishments with monetary penalties, increase penalty amounts, introduce specific definitions, update statutory references and modify the chapter heading.
In Section 10, the Bill proposes to substitute the reference to “section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860)” with “clause (28) of section 2 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023)”.
Further, in Section 59(1), covering drunkenness or nuisance or spitting or sitting on the floor in the train or quarrelling, and Section 60(1), covering taking offensive materials, the provision of punishment with a fine which may extend to Rs 500 is proposed to be replaced with a penalty which may extend to Rs 2,500.
In the past, there have been several instances of commuters travelling in a drunken state in the Metro.
Recently, in two reported cases, passengers were found on the tracks. On a daily basis, male passengers are seen travelling in the female coach.
If any commuter writes or pastes anything in compartments and refuses to take it down, then under Section 62 (3), the existing provision of imprisonment up to six months, or fine up to Rs 1,000, or both, is proposed to be replaced with a penalty which may extend to Rs 10,000.