Kozhikode: The Joint RTO (Regional Transport Officer) at Feroke in Kozhikode district of Kerala has suspended the licence of a private bus driver for talking on his mobile phone several times while driving. Sumesh, the driver who is facing action, is the driver of Zam Zam, a bus conducting services on the Kozhikode – Parappanangadi route.

Apart from suspending Sumesh’s driving licence for a month, the Joint RTO has ordered one week’s compulsory coaching for him at the Motor Vehicle Department’s training centre at Edappal in Malappuram district.

Visuals of Sumesh speaking on his mobile while driving had appeared on social media after a woman passenger sitting on a seat in the front row recorded them with her phone. The visuals revealed that Sumesh had used the phone eight times while covering a distance of 7 km. He also sent some messages on WhatsApp while driving the passenger bus.

Meanwhile, officers with the Traffic Police disclosed that they had taken action on the violation of rules by Zam Zam bus earlier itself. “As the violation was serious, the patrolling wing of the Highway Police which had detected the incident imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on the bus, on the spot itself,” said the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Kozhikode.