Subway to help late commuters escape punishment

Subway commuters may be excused from punishment by their employers when they are late for work due to train delays or other malfunctions, as the Beijing subway operator said they would testify for the latecomers.

Beijing Subway announced on Monday on its official website that passengers can download a "delay notification" from the website as a "disclaimer" if the train is delayed up to 15 minutes due to various malfunctions.

The notification will show which train line was delayed at which station for what reason, the exact time, and some words of apology. The note will be available on the website for 30 days after the incident occurs. Passengers can also ask the platform staff for the note within three days of the delay.

The subway authority, however, said the notification won't guarantee that riders will escape punishment.

Some subway commuters felt the note wouldn't help much. A program on China National Radio on Tuesday featured passengers saying it would all depend on their bosses.   

In Japan, late-coming employees can be relieved of punishment if they present a "delay notification" to their companies.