More than 95 percent of high-speed rail passengers supported the “quiet carriage” policy, the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said yesterday, adding that only two passengers have been denied boarding since the policy was implemented.
The policy went into effect in September last year to prevent passengers from disrupting quietness in train carriages, such as by speaking loudly on mobile phones or using devices on speaker.
However, some people said the policy discriminates against parents traveling with young children and people who have certain illnesses.
Photo courtesy of THSRC
The policy was introduced in response to public expectations for a quiet travel environment, THSRC said.
The “quiet carriage” policy encourages people to wear headsets or earphones when using digital devices, move to the vestibule when making or taking phone calls and conversing quietly inside the carriage.
“We hope that the concept of having a quieter and more comfortable carriage would eventually become public consensus,” THSRC said.
Onboard personnel would caution adults who disrupt the quiet in carriages and remind them of the policy, it said, adding that infants, young children and people whose autonomy is affected by illnesses would not be given an advisory.
A survey of about 1,600 high-speed rail passengers in November and December last year found that 95 percent of respondents supported the “quiet carriage” policy, while 90 percent said they were satisfied with how the policy was implemented.
About 80 percent of the respondents said the policy helped make the carriages quieter, the surveys showed.
“This shows that travelers generally agree with maintaining a quiet, comfortable and friendly carriage, and are willing to comply with the policy,” THSRC said.
Only two passengers have been denied boarding since the policy took effect — one for consuming alcohol and the other for losing emotional control, it said.
The operator said it has also produced “It’s OK to cry” stickers to soothe children.
Between Sept. 22 and Oct. 8 last year, high-speed rail personnel issued more than 13,000 reminders to passengers, it said.
On average, there were fewer than five instances of noise disruptions in each train, the THSRC said in October last year.
Further analysis showed that 49 percent of those who were given reminders were people speaking too loudly on mobile phones, 27 percent were advised to keep their voice down when conversing with others and more than 24 percent were passengers who were watching videos or listening to music on speaker.
There were only a few cases involving children’s behavior, THSRC said.
“The results showed that a lot of sources of noises inside the carriages can be controlled through passengers’ self-initiated sense of public courtesy and self-discipline,” it added.
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