Banning use of technology on transport must be given careful consideration

Communication is essential in a fast-moving world and laws need a practical approach, says Fiona Deas

Travel bans have stirred up more than a little controversy in recent months – take, for example, President Donald Trump going into conflict with the US courts over his plans to ban travellers from certain countries.

It has been announced too that US and UK flights from selected countries are to enforce a total ban on large electronic devices on in-bound aircraft, preventing flyers from opening up their laptops for work or entertainment.

While this is undoubtedly inconvenient for thousands of passengers, the reasons behind the ban are substantiated and, in the interest of safety, a few hours unplugged seems a small price to pay.

In an increasingly mobile world this kind of ban is not unfamiliar – we have seen handheld mobile phone use banned, to prevent distractions to drivers and to promote road safety.

This is unequivocally a good move – taking a hand off the wheel in the interest of mindless chatter, or worse to dip your head and compose a text is a foolhardy, selfish and dangerous thing to do.

However, bluetooth headsets and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAS) are vital in our line of business, enabling our drivers to keep up to date with traffic conditions, jobs and the changing daily demands of the sector.

As it stands, these devices can be legally used, if they are employed correctly. That common sense philosophy means that the likes of couriers, taxis and a myriad of other