BENGALURU: Banning bus drivers of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) from carrying their mobile phone to allow them to concentrate on safe driving may have been welcomed by all. But that is not enough. Hundreds of cab drivers of rampantly use their mobile phones while driving throughout the city, posing a threat to life and limbs of unsuspecting citizens.
Citizens who use cab services say stricter rules if not a similar ban, must be enforced on app-based cab drivers as well. Take this incident that occurred recently. A distracted cab driver rammed into another car which was on its way to a hospital for an emergency. Tejaswi Uthappa, who was driving at a junction in Hebbal, said, “The cab driver was driving towards me while I was on the left lane of the road. I saw him talking on the phone, looking elsewhere. He unknowingly drove into my lane. People were screaming to get his attention, but he rammed into my vehicle.”
“A family member was in the hospital and I had no time to waste, so I left my car on the spot and asked a friend to take care of it. While this was a freak accident, I have also been in app-based cabs where cabbies drive like maniacs with one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding the mobile to the ear. They don't keep their side-view mirrors open and bulldoze their way around the city,” she said.
Rajkumar Dugar said he finds cab drivers either constantly on their phone or parking at bus bays to take calls, blocking the path of public transport.“I was once driving behind a cab moving at snail’s pace and in a criss-cross manner. At first, I thought the person was drunk. When I passed him, I saw him on the phone with just one hand on the steering wheel. Other times, I see them parked in BMTC bus bays to take calls, with their blinkers on and blocking the path of buses,” Rajkumar said.
Would a ban help?
As per Bengaluru Traffic Police statistics, 31,532 cases of mobile use while driving have been booked so far in 2018. Commenting on the idea of a ban on cabbies using phones while driving, Sudip Sarkar, a techie by profession, said, “I have had cab drivers talking on the phone throughout. I think a ban will definitely help, because an accident can happen at any time when they are not concentrating on the road.” Tejaswi, however, said, “A ban will be ideal, but not feasible. They have their company phones which they need to use to get rides and follow GPS-based route map. The use of personal phones could be banned. But people will still find loopholes and break rules.”
Rajkumar felt a blanket ban would not work; instead, existing rules that outlaw mobile use while driving can be enforced in a better manner by the police.“The traffic police must give a stern warning to cab drivers and start regular enforcement drives. If a few people are fined, others will fall in place much like the enforcement of helmets,” he added.
Ramesh Gowda, member of Bruhat Bengaluru Taxi Driver's Union said, “A ban may seem like a good idea at first, but it cannot be implemented as the entire business happens on the cab app. Moreover, Uber and Ola give a fixed route which drivers have to follow. Even if the person knows of a faster or shorter route from MG Road to city railway station, they will be penalised if they do not follow the app's route.”
“A ban would be impossible to implement as cab drivers need the phone to call their customers for directions before even starting the ride,” he said, further adding, “Several cabbies come from rural areas to the city, drive throughout the week and go back home for two days. During this time, they need to keep in touch with their families especially if there is an emergency.”Ramesh opined that the traffic police must enforce the motor vehicle rules and deter cabbies from using their phones, by fining them on the spot.
‘General bad habit in India’
Ashish Verma, a transport expert from the Indian Institute of Science, said, “Mobile usage while driving is not just a problem with BMTC or cab drivers, it is general driving habit in India. It is a pity that we are so addicted to our phones. It is good that BMTC as an employer is banning the use of phones while on duty. They went ahead with this because they, licensing authorities and traffic authorities have not been able to enforce the existing law that bans talking on the phone with your hand, using earphones, hands free, etc.” He added, “If a cab company as an employer can enforce this ban on private phones carried by cab drivers, it may work. But with every ban, there will be pitfalls. In this case, the drivers will need one official phone to get rides on the app. Moreover, for emergencies, they need a phone to contact others. The Traffic Police can help with strict enforcement, as the eventual aim is to curb this safety hazard.”