THE Beijing Railway Transport Court ordered a railway authority Monday to remove smoking areas and smoking-related facilities on slow trains, reported China Daily yesterday.

The order was given to the Harbin Railway Bureau which operates train K1301 after a female passenger surnamed Li sued the bureau last year.

Li found many passengers smoking between the carriages when she travelled from Beijing to Tianjin on train K1301 in June last year. She complained many times but got no useful response.

The lawsuit was heard in December.

Li asked the court to order the railway bureau to remove its smoking zones and ashtrays on the train. In addition, she sought for compensation for her ticket of 102.5 yuan (US$16), 3,000 yuan for legal expenses and 1 yuan for her mental suffering.

Her main complaint was supported by the court. According to the verdict, the railway bureau violated a passenger transport regulation in which train operators are required to provide a traveling environment for passengers that ensures transport safety.

“Passenger’s rights to stay healthy in coaches, we believe, are more important than that of smokers,” the verdict was cited as saying by the report.

However, Li did not prove that she was harmed by the smoking, “so the bureau doesn’t need to pay the compensation,” the court said.

(Xinhua)