Bus drivers caught talking on phones while driving to get license cancelled

Kolkata: The state government will cancel the driving license of bus drivers, who will be caught driving the vehicles while talking on cell phones.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed the Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha regarding the matter on Wednesday. The step has been taken after it was learnt from the survivors that the driver of the ill-fated bus that got plunged into Bhairav River in Murshidabad killing 43 people on Monday, was talking on his cell phone when the accident took place and he refused to disconnect the line despite repeated requests from the passengers.

It was decided that the state Public Works Department (PWD) will repair the railings of 200 bridges. The department will conduct a survey to study the physical health of the bridges.

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee has lambasted the Opposition for not allowing the fire brigade to reach the accident spot on Monday. "More lives could have been saved if they had allowed the fire brigade, the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police to come," she said, adding that the state government will take stringent action against those who will damage state properties.

Referring to the ransacking of hospitals by the relatives of the deceased, she said "Any death is unfortunate but that does not mean that the relatives will ransack the hospital properties worth lakhs of rupees. Sobriety does not mean weakness. In such cases, the state government will take stringent measures."

She said she had reached the spot at around 1 pm and stayed till 2 am. State Transport minister Suvendu Adhikari apprised her of the situation and reached the spot. "Whenever any accident takes place, there are two types of reactions, namely spontaneous and intentional. The second type of reaction is dangerous and from now, action will be taken to control such reactions," she maintained.