149 booked on first day of mobile phone crackdown

POLICE booked 149 motorists on the first day of an island wide crack down on the use of mobile phones while driving, an announcement said yesterday.

Sixty-six drivers were reported in Nicosia, 45 in Limassol, 24 in Larnaca, three in Famagusta and 11 in Paphos.

The bookings are expected to fetch the state £7,450 at £50 per offender.

The campaign will run throughout July.

Since the beginning of the year, police have booked around 5,700 motorists for using their mobiles when driving.

Meanwhile 8,340 motorcycle and moped drivers or passengers were booked in an earlier campaign, which started on June 6.

The offences concern engine conversions, noise, failure to wear crash helmets, underage drivers and a collection of other traffic violations.