Nainital: A 36-year-old man in Haldwani has become the first person in the state whose mobile phone was seized for 24 hours after he was caught talking while driving following an order of the Uttarakhand high court authorising the transport department to do so.The man identified as Gaurav Panvali, who runs a small grocery store in Haldwani, was riding a bike and talking on phone when he was caught by the authorities on Sunday evening.He was not wearing a helmet and jumped the red light twice, traffic police said. A recommendation has been made for cancellation of his driving licence for violating various sections of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.The high court on Friday while delivering a series of directions to improve road safety in the state authorised the transport department to “seize mobile phones (of offenders) temporarily for a period of 24 hours after issuing a valid receipt.” Incidentally, the HC had last month, adopting a strict stance on the use of mobile phones while driving, ordered cancellation of driving licences of the violators.Traffic inspector Mahesh Chandra who seized the phone told TOI, “We spotted the man riding a bike without a helmet and talking on phone. When I signalled him to stop, he ran away. He was caught after a km-long chase from Tikonia to Mangal Padav. His mobile phone was seized.”Janmejay Khanduri, senior superintendent of police, Nainital district, said, “Under the Motor Vehicles Act, police officers have the same powers and authorisation as the transport department. So police officers can also seize mobile phones of violators. We are trying our best to implement the court’s order in letter and spirit.”Kewal Khurana, director (traffic), Uttarakhand, said, “This will serve as an example for people to follow road safety rules.”Earlier on Friday, the high court in a series of directions to improve road safety in the state had said a road safety audit should be conducted within a month. In order to check drunken driving, the state government was instructed to construct “parapets and crash barriers and erect sign boards on all the 1,000 identified accident-prone points.”

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