Karnataka   

Drivers using cell phone, beware

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: In an effort to avert road accidents, the Government is planning to impose tougher measures to enforce the ban on using mobile phones while driving/riding. This will be done in a phased manner.

Minister for Transport N. Cheluvarayaswamy told presspersons here on Tuesday that he had been receiving reports from various quarters that speaking on mobile phones while driving was responsible for a number of road accidents in the State. Although the Government had imposed restrictions on using mobile phones while driving, it had not had the desired results.

Therefore, the Government was planning stronger measures, such as seizing the mobile phones of offenders, suspending their driving licence and cancellation of license for repeated offences. It was being examined whether the Transport Department could independently initiate action, the Minister said.

Referring to revenue collection by the department, he said it had collected Rs. 1,286.80 crore against the target of Rs. 1,160 crore. It had fixed a revenue target of Rs. 1,405 crore for the current fiscal year.

On the infrastructure development front, the department was constructing Regional Transport Office buildings at Madikeri, Davangere, Nagamangala, Puttur, Shimoga, Haveri, Bagalkot, Bailhongal, Chikmagalur and Jamkhandi.

Driving tracks would be provided at the RTOs at Mysore, Chitradurga, Bagalkot, Haveri, Belgaum, Bailhongal, Bijapur, Gulbarga and Hassan.

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