Chittur: The driving licence of a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) driver has been suspended for three months after he was caught using a mobile phone while operating a bus.

The action was taken against Santhosh Babu, a driver with the Chittur KSRTC depot and a native of Kollengode, following an order by Palakkad Regional Transport Officer C.U. Mujib. Along with the suspension, he has been directed to undergo a one-week training programme at the Institute of Driver Training and Research in Edappal.

A week earlier, passengers filmed the driver using his phone during a Chittur depot service from Kollengode to Coimbatore. The footage quickly went viral, prompting Chittur Motor Vehicle Inspector Binu George to issue a notice directing him to report to the RTO office within seven days. Santhosh Babu later appeared before the officials as instructed.

Santhosh Babu also serves as a state committee member of the Transport Democratic Front, a trade union aligned with the opposition.