Minister Bellot wants the railway police to be able to ticket those who smoke or vape where it is prohibited. Smoking or vaping at the station is prohibited. And on the train, it's the same. These new decisions could cost offenders dearly.
FINE OF 156 EUROS FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Smoking in the station is forbidden. Smoking on the train, too. And on the platform? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Indeed, what is tolerated on one platform is not necessarily on another. It depends on whether the platform is covered or not. For example, nothing prevents you from grilling a cigarette while waiting for your train to Brussels-North or Brussels-Midi. Between the two, in Brussels Central, it is proscribed.
That said, for the moment, only FPS Public Health staff can apply sanctions. However, according to the SPF in question, they control more bars and other parties than station platforms. As for the sworn personnel of the SNCB, its power is limited to asking you orally to extinguish your cigarette. Eventually, to draw up a report when smoking is accompanied by a degradation. All this could change: François Bellot (MR), Minister of Mobility in charge of SNCB, wants the railway police to impose administrative fines.
Indeed, his office is working on a bill to this effect. « The measures taken would then provide for the prohibition of smoking in railway stations and railway vehicles, except on the platforms located in the open air and in the places authorized by the 22 law of December 2009 introducing a general regulation to the prohibition of smoking in hotels. closed places accessible to the public and the protection of workers against tobacco smoke. This is based on the same principle as the communal administrative sanctions with reporting agents and sanctioning agents« says the federal minister.
Where can you smoke? There, a priori, nothing changes: on a platform in the open air and nowhere else, as stipulated by law. And beware, that too for electronic cigarettes. Indeed, since May 2016, vaping is prohibited in public places (trains, buses, restaurants, airplanes, bars, workplaces, etc.).
As for fines, the minister's office has not moved forward. For now, if an agent of the FPS Public Health takes the cigarette with the beak, it is 156 € the first time. In case of recidivism, the bill can go up to 5.500 €.
Source : Dh.net
