With families busy preparing for the new school year, it’s important for Island motorists to be mindful of school bus safety.
Over the last few years, the Department of Transportation and Public Works has responded to community concerns over school bus safety with a series of measures to strengthen both awareness and enforcement. Among these measures are strengthened public education and awareness of safe driving practices around school bus drop offs and pickups, heavier fines and loss of demerit points for illegally passing school buses, and increased patrol of school bus routes by Highway Safety staff and other law enforcement.
“As children head back to school for another year, motorists need to remember to respect school bus stops to increase safety for schoolchildren on Island roads,” said Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea. “We all have demands on our time and places that we need to get to, but no errand or appointment is important enough to risk the safety of our children at school bus stops.”
Shea pointed out that, since these measures of awareness and enforcement were implemented, reports by citizens of motorists illegally passing school buses has increased with the number of charges laid under the Highway Traffic Act for such offenses having more than doubled. Shea credited this to stepped up enforcement on Island roads.
Shea went on to thank motorists and citizens for their continued cooperation in helping keep Island roads safe for school buses and children.