May 13, 2009 12:32 pm US/Eastern
T Drivers Face Total Cell Phone Ban
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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A picture from the MBTA's new poster announcing the total ban on cell phones for drivers.
WBZ
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This photo was taken from Aiden Quinn's MySpace page.
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Massachusetts transit officals are banning operators of their trains, street cars and buses from carrying cell phones while they are driving the public.
The policy change announced Wednesday follows a
trolley crash last week that injured 49 people and was blamed on a text-messaging driver.
Officials said it is the strictest in the nation.
THE PUNISHMENT
The state already banned its transit operators from using cell phones. This extends that ban to prevent drivers from even carrying them while on duty.
Drivers caught talking or text-messaging on a cell phone will be fired immediately.
The first time a driver is caught possessing a cell phone on duty, there will be a 10-day suspension.
If there is a second offense, the driver will be fired.
"I know what I saw on Friday night in that tunnel," said MBTA general manager Dan Grabauskas.
"I know what the cause was and I know that this new policy would have prevented it."
Transporation Secretary James Aloisi said the policy is designed to avoid a repeat of "the error of judgment" that led to Friday's accident.
THE DRIVER
Green Line trolley operator Aiden Quinn told police he rear-ended another train Friday night while texting his girlfriend.
Quinn has not been charged in the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday he is now
refusing to meet with federal investigators.
Quinn has until Friday to meet with his bosses at the MBTA about the accident or be fired.
Have you seen an MBTA driver using or carrying a cell phone on the job?
If so, send us a picture.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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