Texting on road a no-no for Boston workers

BOSTON, June 26 (UPI) -- Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino says all city workers will soon be banned from text-messaging while operating city-owned vehicles.

Menino said at a Government Center T station press conference the reason for the upcoming text-messaging ban is to protect the general public from potentially distracted drivers on city roads, The Boston Globe said Friday.

"This is a public safety issue," the mayor said. "This is about saving lives."

The site of Thursday's press conference was where a train collision occurred in May.

Authorities suspect the accident was caused by a driver who had been using his cell phone, the Globe said.

Daniel A. Grabauskas, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, agreed text-messaging by Boston drivers was a prevalent problem in the city.

"I get complaints from my bus drivers about how they have been cut off by drivers distracted by their own texting," Grabauskas said. "A couple of seconds of convenience is not worth what you might look up at the last second and see."

The ban on city workers text-messaging in city vehicles goes into effect Monday, the Globe said.