Ahmedabad: The biggest problem on Ahmedabad’s Metro does not come from ticketless commuters. It is ‘drunkenness’, albeit of a different kind. Here, ‘mava’, the betelnut-lime-tobacco chewing mix, which is a staple for thousands of Amdavadis, is the culprit. Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) data from the past four years shows that nearly three-fourths of the violations recorded on the city’s Metro network fall under the “drunkenness and nuisance” category, which, in dry Gujarat, covers passengers carrying or consuming tobacco products rather than intoxicated travellers.Data available for the period from May 2022 to July 2026 shows that a total of 4,972 various offences were logged. Of these, 3,669, or 73.8%, pertained to Section 59(1) of the Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002, which lists penalties for drunkenness, nuisance or acts affecting the comfort of passengers. The daily average comes to about 2.4 cases, or close to five every two days.GMRC data shows a sharp increase in such cases over the years. There were 89 cases in 2022, which rose to 410 in 2023 and more than doubled to 876 in 2024. The number peaked at 1,646 cases in 2025. In the first seven months of 2026, 648 cases were already recorded.GMRC officials explained that the term “drunkenness” in the offence classification does not necessarily mean that all these cases involve intoxicated passengers. In Gujarat Metro, this classification covers the ban on carrying or consuming mava inside Metro premises and on trains. If a person is intoxicated, he or she is handed over to police and a police complaint is registered.Officials said violations involving tobacco products have also stained Metro stations and trains. Soon after Metro services were launched in the city, several stations had to be repainted as spitting mava juice had left the walls and premises red.The data shows that Section 59(1) offences are driving the overall increase. In 2025 alone, such cases accounted for nearly 88% of all offences, with 1,646 of the 1,870 cases falling under the provision.The second-highest offence was travelling without a proper ticket or pass — 467 cases, accounting for about 9.4% of the total. Such cases rose from just one in 2022 to nine in 2023, 120 in 2024 and 193 in 2025. The figure for 2026 so far is 144.Other comparatively rare offences include 38 cases of unlawfully entering or remaining on Metro premises, 14 cases of obstructing officials on duty and five cases of walking on the Metro track without lawful authority. One case of demonstration on Metro premises and two cases involving interference with communication systems or misuse of an alarm were recorded during the period.Under the revised provisions, acts causing inconvenience or discomfort to fellow passengers can attract a penalty of up to Rs 2,500. The offences include travelling in an intoxicated state, playing music or videos on speaker mode, watching content without earphones, shouting, using abusive or obscene language, spitting, sitting on the coach floor, damaging property and indecent behaviour. However, GMRC officials said Gujarat has chosen to continue with the existing penalty structure, under which the fine for such offences remains Rs 200.
