Misconduct and bad behavior on Chinese trains are set to be recorded and kept for up to five years in an individual credit system compiling information on unruly passengers, according to new regulations unveiled and implemented by China Railway Corporation (CRC) on Thursday.
Bad behavior listed in the regulation includes smoking on high speed trains or in no-smoking areas on regular trains, dodging fares and scalping rail tickets as well as traveling with fake ID cards. Passengers found to be in breach of the regulation will be punished according to related laws and regulations. Their personal information will also be logged into the railway credit management system, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the CRC.
Records of bad behavior on China's rail network are expected to be kept in the system for five years, with the data made available to specific national or local authorities as well as credit bureaus during that period. Passengers who find themselves in this database may face certain restrictions, preventing them from taking future trips, or even from applying for loans from banks.
Stories of bad manners on public transport over the past years have constantly made headlines across the country, especially amid the annual Spring Festival travel rush where millions of people all over the country head to their hometowns to see in the new year with their families.
On Sina Weibo and Tianya BBS, a popular online discussion forum, it is not hard to find posts shared by netizens describing a fare evasion or snatching a ticket from the scalpers during the hard-earn-ticket Spring Festival season.
The world's largest annual migration started on January 13 this year, and it is predicted that some 3 billion journeys will be made as passengers rush to their hometowns during the 40-day "chunyun" travel rush.
Staff from the China Railway Corporation noted that the move is expected to further promote good behavior on trains across the country, as well as protecting the legitimate rights of railway staff, so as to help forge a safe and sound travel environment.
