Ban on mobile phone use by drivers derided

Regulations banning the use of hand-held mobile phones in motor vehicles were derided in the Dáil yesterday as laughable, bizarre and unwise.

However, the Road Traffic Bill, which now makes it an offence to use a hand-held phone while driving a mechanically propelled vehicle, passed all stages in the Dáil yesterday and now goes to the Seanad. The Bill also includes the new penalty points system for driving offences, a culmination of which can lead to a driving ban.

Labour's environment spokesman, Mr Eamon Gilmore, said the mobile phone regulations had to be "one of the most bizarre legislative attempts made by the Government in recent times".

The regulations were "daft, confusing, unimplementable and quite laughable in some respects". It looked like a "regulation that was written on the back of a cigarette packet and that has been rushed out in order to meet a public relations deadline or a political requirement on the part of the Minister of State, rather than to address a serious problem".

However, Mr Ben Briscoe (FF, Dublin South-Central) welcomed the legislation and believed the public would welcome it as well.

"We have all been horrified at the number of accidents on our roads and I only wish there was more enforcement by the Garda."

The Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Bobby Molloy announced the ban on Monday and his colleague, Minister of State Mr Danny Wallace, introduced the measure in the Dáil.

Mr Gilmore referred to the regulation that "the person shall not hold, or have on or about their person, a mobile phone or other similar apparatus while in the said vehicle, except when it is parked".

He asked did that mean they could not have it on their clothing or on the dashboard. The regulations did not apply if the phone was switched off. "In that situation, an unfortunate garda would have to take a very close look at the driver's pocket to see if the mobile phone was vibrating. That is in the realms of 'is that a mobile phone or are you just glad to see me' legislation."

Ms Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gael's transport spokeswoman said the Minister had made a "total dog's dinner" of the rules despite having a long time to consider them. She said mobile phones were a very important safety issue for women, who should be allowed to "transport mobile phones and have access to them near or about their person, should they run into difficulties".