Penalties for violating MRT regulations under review

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is reviewing penalties for violating MRT regulations, after a student was charged in court and fined $400 for misusing one of the electric sockets at a station to charge her mobile phone.

The incident took place in August 2013, and was reported on The Real Singapore website.

In response to queries posed by the press, an LTA spokesman said the student pleaded guilty and was fined by the Court.

The Straits Times also understands that a notice of offence was first issued to the girl, informing her that she has infringed a regulation that states no one should misuse any electrical equipment in railway premises. The violation carries a maximum fine of $5,000.

The spokesman added that the authority is currently reviewing the regulations to differentiate violations of different nature, such as food consumption on trains and misusing of equipment. This is to highlight the severity of different offences. For instance, connecting a faulty equipment to the station's power socket can cause interference to the train system.