Istanbul -
An Istanbul bus driver was sacked on Wednesday after video footage showed him immersed in a book while travelling at high speed on a busy street in the Turkish metropolis.
In the video, filmed by a passenger, the burly, bearded driver holds his book open over his steering wheel on the Asian side of the city, paying far more attention to the words than the road.
He is filmed talking into his mobile phone... before returning to his book. He only occasionally glances at the street and does most of the steering with his knees. It is not clear what book he is reading.
Goksel Ovacik, the head of the bus service company, told private CNN-Turk television that the man had been sacked and had his driving licence revoked after the passenger who filmed the video sent it to city authorities.
The passenger also launched a criminal complaint against the driver for risking the lives of those in the bus, CNN Turk said.
The identity of the driver has not been revealed.
Istanbul's chaotic and traffic-clogged roads are notorious for the sometimes dangerous and eccentric behaviour of drivers. - Sapa-AFP