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ODDS OF KEEPING HIS JOB?
Bus driver filmed ‘placing BETS’ on his phone while driving through London
Cyclist caught the double decker driver on his helmet camera
THIS is the incredible moment a driver was caught placing FOOTBALL BETS on his smartphone - while behind the wheel of a London bus.
The Arriva bus driver, who was travelling along Ludgate Hill near St Paul's Cathedral in London, was snapped by a local cyclist on his helmet camera using the Betfair app at around 7.30pm on Sunday.
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Stunned cyclist Diogo, 27, confronted the Transport for London (TfL) employee over what he was doing as he couldn't believe how the driver could be doing something so dangerous while passengers were on board the double decker.
In the one minute clip Diogo can be heard saying: "Are you placing bets while driving a bus?
"You are out of your mind. You have to focus on the road. You are driving a bus man, come on."
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After having a barny with the public transport worker the outraged cyclist later adds: "It doesn't matter, it is the law.
"Every time I cycle my life is in danger because of drivers like you."
Speaking to The Sun, Diogo said: "I was cycling down Ludgate hill I saw a bus blocking the junction.
"As a former bus driver I can easily see when something it's not right with the driver.
"I looked closely at the driver and I realised he was accelerating and breaking - not even paying attention to the road, his eyes were looking at somewhere else.
"As the bus drove past me I saw that he was holding his phone on the right hand. So I approached the bus and realised he had his betting app on the phone.
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"I asked him he was driving a bus and placing bets he actually said yes! He said 'there is traffic I ain't driving anywhere' while he continued moving the bus forward."
The cyclist claims the driver then took his right hand off the steering wheel while keeping the phone in his left hand. Diogo claims he asked the employee to put the phone away but he refused - saying he was doing nothing wrong.
Although he reported what he saw to TfL, Diogo hasn't yet made a complaint to police.
Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving is illegal in the UK.
The punishment is currently a three-point penalty on your licence and a £100 fine.
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But if the case is deemed more serious you could end up in court, be disqualified from driving and face a fine of £1,000.
For bus drivers the maximum charge is £2,500.
A spokeswoman for TfL said they wanted to reassure passengers that incidents like this are taken seriously.
Mike Weston, TfL’s Director of Buses, said: “Public safety is always our top priority. We are conducting an urgent investigation into this incident and will take appropriate action.”
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