Massachusetts Bus Transportation Association Toughens Cellphone Policy

The MBTA is toughening its cellphone policy for drivers, saying any bus or train operator would face dismissal for carrying a phone or other electronic device on the job even if it is not being used.

The new directive announced on Monday replaces a previous policy that called for a 10-day suspension for any driver in possession of a cellphone, and an automatic discharge if the device was being used.

Police said a bus driver involved in a crash in Newton, Mass., last month that injured several people had a cellphone in her hand at the time of the accident.

The original policy was instituted in 2009 after a trolley driver was found to have been texting his girlfriend just before a crash that injured dozens of passengers.