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Ring, ring on crossing: You will be arrested and fined
Those who use mobile phones while crossing the road will be arrested and prosecuted with immediate effect, police warned yesterday. A senior police officer said the decision came after a survey conducted by the police revealed that there were number of accidents caused due to the negligence of pedestrians who used mobile phones on the roads.
He said such pedestrians would be charged under 1987 regulations which stipulated that they could be penalised for failing to observe oncoming vehicles and for causing a delay in crossing the road. “We have observed that some people stop on the pedestrian crossings because they are not aware of oncoming vehicles due to the use of mobile phones,” the officer said.
He said that even those walking on the road could be charged for walking in a negligent manner and causing inconvenience to motorists.
The officer said the police had earlier carried out an awareness programme, but little was achieved. “We have no problems in people using mobile phones on the road, but people should not use them in a manner that adds to the number of accidents,”the officer added.
All police stations have been informed about the decision and they will be arresting persons for violating the regulations, he said. A fine of between Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 could be imposed for this offence.
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