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§ 7-705. Actions prohibited in transit facilities or vehicles

West's Annotated Code of MarylandTransportationEffective: October 1, 2018

West's Annotated Code of Maryland
Transportation
Title 7. Mass Transit (Refs & Annos)
Subtitle 7. Miscellaneous Provisions (Refs & Annos)
Effective: October 1, 2018
MD Code, Transportation, § 7-705
§ 7-705. Actions prohibited in transit facilities or vehicles
Currentness
Failure to pay applicable fares prohibited
(a) It is unlawful for any person entering a transit facility or transit vehicle owned or controlled by the Administration for the purpose of obtaining transit service or a train owned or controlled by the Administration or operated by a railroad company under contract to the Administration to provide passenger railroad service to:
(1) Fail to pay the applicable fare charged by the Administration in the required manner; or
(2) Fail to:
(i) Pay the applicable fare;
(ii) Exhibit proof of payment; or
(iii) Provide truthful identification.
Actions prohibited in transit vehicles or facilities
(b) It is unlawful for any person to engage in any of the following acts in any transit vehicle or transit facility, designed for the boarding of a transit vehicle, which is owned or controlled by the Administration or a train owned or controlled by the Administration or operated by a railroad company under contract to the Administration to provide passenger railroad service:
(1) Expectorate;
(2) Smoke or carry a lighted or smoldering pipe, cigar, or cigarette;
(3) Consume food or drink, or carry any open food or beverage container;
(4) Discard litter, except into receptacles designated for that purpose;
(5) Play or operate any radio, cassette, cartridge, tape player, or similar electronic device or musical instruments, unless such device is connected to an earphone that limits the sound to the hearing of the individual user;
(6) Carry or possess any explosives, acids, concealed weapons or other dangerous articles;
(7) Carry or possess any live animals, except seeing-eye animals and hearing-ear animals properly harnessed and accompanied by a blind person or a deaf person, and small animals properly packaged;
(8) Board any transit vehicle through the rear exit door, unless so directed by an employee or agent of the Maryland Transit Administration;
(9) Urinate or defecate, except in restrooms;
(10) Fail to move to the rear of any transit vehicle when requested to do so by the operator or a police officer;
(11) Fail to vacate a seat designated for the elderly or handicapped when requested to do so by the transit vehicle operator, train conductor, or a police officer; or
(12) Except by contract with the Administration, solicit the purchase of any goods or services.
Elderly and handicapped persons defined
(c) As used in this section, “elderly and handicapped person” means any person who, by reason of illness, injury, age, congenital malfunction, or other permanent or temporary incapacity or disability, is unable to use transit facilities and transit services or railroad facilities and railroad services as effectively as a person who is not so affected.
Charter bus services
(d) The provisions of subsection (b)(3), (5), (8), and (12) of this section do not apply to charter bus service rendered by the Administration. The provisions of subsection (b)(2) and (12) of this section do not apply to excursion train service rendered by the Administration or by a railroad company under contract to the Administration. The provisions of subsection (b)(3) of this section do not apply to any railroad service rendered by the Administration or by a railroad company under contract to the Administration.
Fines and penalties
(e) Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of not more than $500 for each offense.
Interference with operation of transit vehicles or official duties prohibited
(f)(1) It is unlawful for any person to obstruct, hinder, or interfere with:
(i) The operation or operator of a transit vehicle or railroad passenger car; or
(ii) A person engaged in official duties as a station agent, conductor, or station attendant who is employed by:
1. The Administration;
2. An entity that provides transit service under contract with the Administration;
3. A local government agency or public transit authority;
4. A private entity that provides public transit service; or
5. An entity that provides transit service under a transportation compact under Title 10 of this article.
(2) Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000, imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, or both, for each offense.
Enforcement of other State or local laws or regulations
(g) This section does not prohibit enforcement of any other State or local law or regulation that is consistent with the provisions of this section.

Credits

Added by Acts 1977, c. 13, § 2, eff. July 1, 1977. Amended by Acts 1983, c. 116; Acts 1984, c. 255; Acts 1991, c. 222; Acts 1992, c. 127, § 2; Acts 2001, c. 118, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2001; Acts 2001, c. 730, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2001; Acts 2009, c. 685, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2009; Acts 2018, c. 619, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2018.
Formerly Art. 64B, § 31A.
MD Code, Transportation, § 7-705, MD TRANS § 7-705
Current with legislation effective through July 1, 2023, from the 2023 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
End of Document