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Arriva promises 'thorough investigation' after drivers captured using phones on Sutton Road, Maidstone

A bus operator has promised to start a 'thorough investigation' after footage emerged of two of its drivers using their phones while on duty in Maidstone.

A resident captured the Arriva drivers at the bus stops outside his home on Sutton Road used by the 82 and 12 services.

Watch the footage of the drivers here.

The Highways Code says the law against using phones behind the wheel still applies whether the vehicle is moving or not.

It says unless you have parked in a safe place with the engine switched off, if you use your mobile in the car you are breaking the law.

While unclear whether the vehicle's ignition was switched on in these videos, the resident who took it believes they were.

The man who wished to remain anonymous said this is a daily occurrence.

He added: "The drivers park in front of people’s drives, they leave their engine running continuously from 5.30am to 10.30pm. "I’ve seen them leave passengers on the bus to get out and make calls and have cigarettes.

"We’ve got two bus stops outside our house so we get double the problems."

After watching the videos, both captured on the A274 last month, the bus operator has promised to launch a full investigation.

Oliver Monahan, area managing director for Arriva said: "We take all reports such as these very seriously and will undertake a thorough internal investigation.

"We hold regular safety briefings and updates for all our employees to remind and reinforce safety measures.

"We are immensely proud to be an integral part of the communities we serve and the safety and daily experiences of our customers and local residents is our utmost priority.

"To ensure we can carry out thorough investigations we request that anyone who has feedback for us to do so directly using the range of contact channels."

To report something, click here.

Last month, a bus driver was stopped by police for using her phone, in Holborough Road, Snodland.

Read more: All the latest news from Maidstone

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