Following safety concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note7 smartphone, NJ Transit is strongly urging all customers not to use or charge the mobile device on board trains, buses, light rail vehicles or in stations and facilities.
The Note7 has been the subject of numerous accounts of the batteries bursting into flames. Both Samsung and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission are urging owners to power down these devices and stop charging or using them.
“We are asking our customers who have the Galaxy Note7 to simply turn it off before entering an NJ Transit facility or boarding a vehicle,” interim Executive Director Dennis Martin said in a statement prepared by the agency. “Because of the uncertainties surrounding this device, we are issuing this precautionary advisory to ensure the safety of all of our customers.”
“NJ Transit is urging our customers to do the responsible thing and heed the manufacturer’s advice to power down the Galaxy Note7” said Gardner Tabon, chief of NJ Transit’s Office of System Safety. “This is especially critical when riding a transit system along with hundreds of thousands of others.”
NJ Transit has not had any reported cases of a Samsung Galaxy Note7 becoming a fire hazard, according to the statement.
In February, NJ Transit restricted customers and employees from using, charging, storing or transporting hoverboards following similar fire safety concerns.
