Bus safety is a priority for city council.
The round-table reviewed a presentation about adding cameras to the school bus stop-arms. The report says drivers who don’t stop for school buses when children are going on and off the bus can face fines ranging from $400 to $2,000. It adds that due to a lack of resources of enforcement, vehicles “blow by” school buses on a daily basis. The report says the cameras on the bus stop-arms would pictures of drivers disobeying rules around stopped school buses to be sent to police to potentially lay charges.
The presentation stated that the Ministry of Transportation is looking to write a bill to add the cameras to buses, but it needs municipal support. CAO Dave Landers says council believes this could increase safety efforts for students. “The next steps for the city will be to write a letter of support and send it off to the various ministries.” Landers adds that letter will be forwarded to a few other agencies including “our municipal partners, as well as our school boards so that they know that we are on board in ensuring as best as we can that school bus safety is a priority for everyone in the community.”