Drivers talking on phone while on the move, beware! A 'click' can land you in trouble

Gone are those days when a simple concern could end up in a quarrel. Now, people will no more have to quarrel with drivers of commercial vehicles to stop them from speaking over phones while driving.

All a person needs to do is to take a photograph of the driver speaking over phone while driving and send it to the state Transport department. Stringent measures will be taken against the driver within the shortest time.

Suvendu Adhikari, the state Transport minister said on Wednesday that stringent action will be taken against drivers if found speaking over phone while driving. "Action will be taken if anyone sends photographs of a driver of a commercial vehicle driving while speaking over phone," he said.

The photographs need to be sent to any senior officials of the state Transport department. At present, maximum number of people use smartphones fitted with cameras. So clicking an instant photograph of a driver of a commercial vehicle, including ones used for public transport, if they are speaking over phone while driving is a very easy task. They can also send it to the state Transport department officials through WhatsApp.

It was often found that people travelling in buses or auto-rickshaws often get engaged into brawls with drivers when the latter speak over cell phones while driving the vehicles. Investigations had revealed that speaking over phone while driving had led to several accidents.

According to the officials of the state Transport department, it will help in reducing the number of road accidents. After receiving any such photograph, it will be sent to the concerned official of the Transport department who will be taking the necessary steps as per the law for speaking over phone while driving.

The state government had taken several measures in creating awareness among people and drivers to make them follow traffic norms. The state Transport department has given Rs 2.5 crore to each district to improve the traffic management system.

In such a situation when people are well aware of the consequences of flouting traffic norms, the state Transport department has taken up the unique initiative by allowing common people to send photographs of errant drivers to check road accidents.

At the same time, the state government has proposed an increase in the fine for violating traffic norms. In a bid to stop bike racing, a fine of Rs 5,000 has been proposed. The hike in fine has been proposed considering that it will make people follow traffic norms in a better way and in turn, the number of accidents will come down.