Drivers not stopping for school buses a daily problem

By Tina Comeau

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

Despite trying to drive home the message of not passing school buses that have their stop sign and red lights activated, the Tri-County Regional School Board says drivers not stopping for their buses continues to be a daily concern.

At a recent board meeting it was indicated that there are around eight to 10 such incidents a day, and those are only the reported cases it was suggested.

“You have to consider the number of roads we have in the three counties,” said board chair Faye Haley. “It is an ongoing problem.”

And a dangerous one too, with students crossing roads to get to and from their homes and the buses.

Which is why the school board has yet again raised the issue of the province’s licence plate system. The board would prefer to see front and back licence plates on vehicles, rather than just the one required on the back, so that motorists not stopping for buses can be more easily reported.

Two licence plates, the board argues, would give bus drivers – who are responsible for watching students getting safely on and off buses – a better chance to record the plate of an oncoming vehicle, rather than having just one chance to do it as the vehicle is moving away.

The board’s transportation department says the majority of vehicles it deals with that do not stop for its buses are ones approaching the bus, as opposed to those that pass from behind.

“On average we get one or two a day that we have complete descriptions: colour of car, make if possible, plate number, description of driver, direction headed,” says Dale Royal, coordinator of transportation. He admits the conviction rate is very low.

At its last board meeting, the school board approved a motion to write a letter to the provincial minister of transportation – copied to the tri-county MLAs and the education minister – expressing the board’s support of reinstating the law requiring licence plates to be displayed on the front, in addition to the back, of all vehicles.

It is also sending a similar resolution to the Nova Scotia School Boards Association’s annual conference.

Brian Taylor, communications office for Service N.S. and Municipal Relations, says the two-licence plate system does get raised periodically, mostly by law enforcement agencies.

“The department has this matter under consideration,” he says, although he adds it is not able to provide any specific information on what a return to a two-licence plate system would cost the province.

Nova Scotia is one of several Canadian provinces that only require one licence plate on a vehicle.