Begging, busking banned in Beijing subway

A regulation passed by Beijing municipal legislators imposes fines for begging, busking and flyer distribution in the crowded Beijing subway.

The rule, which will take effect in May 2015, stipulates that people who beg or busk in subway stations or carriages will be fined up to 1,000 yuan (about 163 US dollars) and those who distribute leaflets up to 10,000 yuan.

The behaviors have long been criticized by the public and are blamed for bringing safety hazards to subway operations. By the end of 2013, the capital had subway routes covering 465 km. Currently, more than 10 million Beijing passengers on average ride the subway on a weekday.

A controversial ban on eating in the subway, proposed in the draft of regulation, was excluded from the final version. According to the draft, passengers who eat in stations or trains would be warned and those who ignore the warning will be fined 50 to 500 yuan.