NMMT restricts usage of phone on buses

Earphones are mandatory to watch videos, and hear music; no speaking loud on buses NAVI MUMBAI: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) has restricted the use of mobile phones on its buses to prevent disturbance and harassment of the passengers

Earphones are mandatory to watch videos, and hear music; no speaking loud on buses

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NAVI MUMBAI: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) has restricted the use of mobile phones on its buses to prevent disturbance and harassment of the passengers. The order comes in the wake of several complaints from the passengers.

NMMT has been taking several measures to increase its efficiency and offer quality travel to its passengers. The latest order has been taken in that context.

“Most passengers in the buses have a phone and they use it freely while travelling. Several passengers speak loudly on the phone. Others hear or watch audio-video programmes, reels, etc,” said Yogesh Kaduskar, NMMT general manager. “The loud sound emanating from the phone disturbs the other passengers a lot. NMMT provides public service and hence we cannot allow such disturbance and harassment of passengers by another set of passengers.”

NMMT operates a total of 567 buses on 74 routes, plying around 1.80 lakh passengers daily. The NMMT operates in the NMMC jurisdiction and also provides services to Mumbai, Borivali, Bandra, Mantralaya, World Trade Center, Andheri, Mulund, Thane, Dombivali, Kalyan, Badalapur, Khargar Kalamboli, Panvel, Ulve Node, Karanjade, Koproli, and Uran.

Action can be taken against passengers causing such disturbances under Bombay Police Act sections 38/1, 2, and 112 which gives the power to prohibit the continuance of music, sound, or noise and deals with the issue of Misbehaviour with intention to provoke a breach of the peace, said Kaduskar.

“Taking this into account, NMMT has decided to restrict the usage of mobile phones in its buses. Passengers are henceforth not allowed to hear or watch videos on their phones without earphones. They are also not allowed to speak in a loud voice while speaking to anyone on the phone,” Kaduskar said, adding that the restrictions apply to all the drivers, conductors , and examiners of NMMT as well.

All depot managers have been instructed to exhibit the order in all the buses immediately.