Chinese woman wins case after suing rail operator over smoking on ‘no smoking’ train
Company told to remove facilities for smokers after smoking during journey prompts successful legal challenge by passenger
A Chinese woman who sued a rail company for allowing smoking on a train despite it being prohibited has won her case, according to local media.
Beijing Railway Transport Court ruled on Monday in favour of the plaintiff, Li Ying, who had sued the train operator, Harbin Railway Bureau, for breaking its own smoking ban in her carriage, reported Huaxi City Daily, a local newspaper in Chengdu in southwest China’s Sichuan province.
Li was travelling from Beijing to Tianjin, in northeast China, last June when she noticed a strong smell of smoking around her, the report stated.
“The safety notice on the train says that ‘smoking in all parts of the train is prohibited’, but a smoking area is arranged on the train,” Li was quoted as saying.
“Ashtrays are prepared for smokers as well. Both passengers and employees are smoking on the train. It’s very unreasonable and unacceptable.”
“Fumes penetrated through all areas of the train and Li Ying suffered unavoidable harm from passive smoking during her journey,” Li’s legal representative stated in court, the report said.