No water? No bun? Commuters pan food ban in Beijing

BEIJING, July 15 -- Beijing commuters are not happy.

The city's new metro line plans to introduce a ban on eating and drinking in subway cars.

Line 4, linking Beijing's northwestern Haidian District and the southern part of the city, is the only line operated by a joint venture between Hong Kong MTR Corp and two Beijing companies.

The city's other eight subway lines, run by Beijing Subway, have no such plans, company spokesman Jia Peng said, but "we will closely watch the result of the ban".

On Line 4, those who break the rule will not face heavy fines.

Jia said Beijing has no regulation to back up the ban.

So, what the operator can do is "remind and persuade passengers not to eat and drink, as well as promote the ban on posters," Yi Meimei, a spokeswoman with Beijing MTR Corp, said Tuesday.

Beijing has a large number of commuters who live in less expensive, suburban apartments but work downtown. Riding the subway can take more than an hour, and eating breakfast on the way to work is the only choice for many commuters.

Several major cities, such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, are also facing opposition to ban food in their subways.

"I spend almost two hours on the subway between home and work. What if I become hungry during the long ride? I could suffer dizziness because of hunger," said one resident.

Another said: "In the morning, I'd rather trade breakfast at home for a few more minutes of sleep and eating in subways at least looks better than eating on streets."