A regulation to be adopted next year by the subway operator in Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu province, will drop a controversial ban on eating food in the subway after soliciting public opinions.

Song Guoqiang, the general manager of Nanjing's Metro Operation Company, said the food ban has no basis, the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post reported yesterday.

"However we hope passengers will not eat or drink in subway trains to prevent spilling and stains on the trains," Song said.