Beijing mulls lifting ban on eating in subway trains   

北京地铁拟不再要求禁食 车厢乞讨最高罚千元

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(ECNS) – Beijing's municipal legislature has removed a ban on eating and drinking on subways from a draft of security regulations for rail transport, the Beijing Times reported.

The municipal Legislative Affairs Office on Thursday explained that eating and drinking doesn't directly threaten subway safety, and a ban doesn't need to be written into the security regulations.

An unnamed member of the municipal Law Committee said eating on subways is about civilized behavior, not safety. "Besides, security regulations are laws. Once legislated, they must be implemented accordingly," he added.

However, some committee members argued that the ban is necessary. They said eating and drinking in subway carriages can cause disputes between passengers, as food and drink may spill or produce unpleasant smells.

Another view was that the ban is needed, but that there should be exemptions for special groups such as the elderly and infants.

The Beijing railway introduced the ban to its subway safety regulations in March. Subway passengers faced fines of up to 500 yuan if they were found breaking the rule, but it was halted in May.

Authorities said not eating and drinking on subways would be included in the passenger manual as an "encouraged behavior."