A fine of about Rs 1 lakh can be imposed on passengers for listening to songs or making calls at high volume without headphones in London's underground metro. This rule has been brought to stop soundcasting.

Whenever you travel in the Delhi Metro, you must have met many people who either listen to songs at high volume without headphones or talk on the phone loudly. Because of these passengers, other passengers have to face trouble, but there is no one to stop them. This problem is not limited to Delhi Metro only, it is common in London too.

However, London Metro has geared up to control such passengers. If passengers traveling in London's underground metro listen to songs at high volume without headphones, play games or talk on calls, then now they may have to face a heavy penalty. Transport for London has appealed to passengers to use mobile phones without disturbing others. Those who break the rules can be fined up to Rs 1 lakh and if needed, they can also be deboarded from the train.

What is soundcasting?

This kind of behavior is called soundcasting in Britain. This word became popular in the 2000s when people started playing songs on the speaker of mobile phones. It is considered a habit that causes inconvenience to others. In a recent survey, 70% of passengers agreed that using the phone without headphones is very hindrance and spoils the travel experience.

There is strictness in other countries too

Not only in London, but in many countries of the world, using mobile phones at high volume on public transport is against the rules.

Playing music without headphones is completely prohibited in Massachusetts in America and Toronto in Canada.

Recently, a person was fined Rs 19,000 for making a call on the speaker in Nantes city of France.

Ireland Rail has also warned of imposing a penalty of up to 9,500 on such passengers.

Why is this rule necessary?

Inside the metro, there are already station announcements and train sounds. In such a situation, passengers listening to music loudly or talking on calls can prevent others from hearing important information. This is why TFL has appealed to people through social media and poster campaigns from August 27 to use headphones while traveling. If someone does not follow the rules, they can be asked to get off the train or they can be fined. Although TFL's aim is to appeal first, they consider strict action as the last option.