Bus drivers and other officials within the Northern Lights School Division (NLSD) are worried over the increasing number of vehicles in the region that are ignoring the safety rules around school buses.
The NLSD board was presented with a report from Matt Richter, Director of Transportation, at the last board meeting on Sept. 18.
Richter said the biggest issue was the increase in “fly-bys” – vehicles ignoring the stop sign and flashing red lights on a school bus and driving right on by.
“The buses have new lights. There is no reason for this,” said Richter.
Michelle Gislason, a bus driver in Bonnyville, has become frustrated over drivers ignoring the law.
“People expect me to adhere to all of the laws and rules that come with my licensing; they need to follow all of the rules and laws that come with their licensing,” said Gislason.
She has become frustrated over the number of vehicles who decided to ignore the signs and park in the bus zone when she is trying to pick up and drop off kids.
“I get upset when you blow by my stop sign and when you park in my bus zone, because you make it so that I can't load and unload my kids safely,” said Gislason.
Gislason says she deals with vehicles driving right through the stop sign on her bus a couple times a week, and some of the drivers are repeat offenders.
“I am forty feet long. I am bright yellow. I have lights on me that flash and blink. I have a stop sign that comes out that flashes and blinks. My door is open. I am physically stopped and you blow by my stop sign because you don't see me? Really?” she questioned.
The NLSD transportation department has decided to do something to hopefully deter people from continuing to break the law and endanger students within the school division.
Richter invested in some cameras and has put them on the outside of one bus in Bonnyville in order to catch dangerous drivers. So far, he says, they have caught quite a few drivers doing “fly-bys”.
“We have been averaging two a week with the bus and we had two (on Sept. 17) alone,” said Richter.
The fly-bys recorded on camera were on one bus route that goes down Lakeshore in Bonnyville.
Richter has teamed up with the local RCMP to crack down on the citizens who are ignoring the stop signs on buses.
He has caught license plates on the offending vehicles and plans to take the videos to court to get these citizens served with tickets.
If convicted, the cost of “failing to stop for a school bus” is $402 and a loss of six demerit points.
“We just want to help (stop this), because it is scary stuff,” said Richter.
If you see a school bus stopped with it's stop sign out you must come to a complete stop 60 feet (20 meters) behind the bus. Gislason says she often sees vehicles creep up to a school bus not coming to a complete stop, which also gets her worried for the kids safety.
“The kids should be able to be happy enough to get off the bus and not have to worry about a vehicle driving by and that is not what is happening,” said Gislason. “I am not sure if this is happening everywhere or if it is just Bonnyville but it is really bad and needs to stop.”
