Shimla, Nov 16 Aware of the fact that nearly 1000 people die every year in road mishaps due to their own faults, the Himachal Pradesh Government has increased the penalty for use of cell phones or playing music while driving and for overloading in buses.

The challan has been increased from Rs 100 to a big amount ranging between Rs 2000 to Rs 5000, said Principal Secretary Transport P C Kapoor.

The increase is in connection with 192 (A) of Indian Motor Vehicle Act and the State Cabinet has already given its approval, he added.

Kapoor further said that recent surveys on the causes of mishap in the state suggest that 78 percent of accidents take place due to human faults. Mechanical faults account for 3 percent, bad conditioned roads (10 percent) and the rest all accidents take place due to drinking while driving.

A bus met with an accident two months back in Chamba because the driver was busy with his cell phone when the bus was passing through the stiff hills of the region.

Moreover, recently on November 6, a bus accident occurred in Kangra district due to over loading, he said.

Explaining in detail about the measures taken to avoid accidents, Kapoor who also holds the charge of Public Works Department said that out of 500 blacklisted places identified by the police, corrective works have begun on 300 of them.

Training period for drivers to get the driving license has also been doubled said Kapoor.

The government is also planning an orientation programme for officials of Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation and private operators to alert them about the laws for issuing permits to heavy commercial vehicle and other details of Motor Vehicle Act, he added. (ANI)