It is the first week of summer vacation for most primary and secondary students across the province, which means school buses will, for the most part, be parked for the next two months.
But when they hit the road again in September, they will feature a new eight amber-red light warning system.
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It aims to increase rider safety and reduce the number of motorists who fail to stop for school buses.
“Amber lights are used elsewhere (in Canada and the US) and have been found to help attract the attention of other drivers around the bus,” said Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario (STSCO) CAO Joel Sloggett. We do.”
“So when the lights go out, you know the bus is going to stop in the near future.”
Police will treat the new amber-red lighting system like a traditional lighting system – if you drive it, you’ll be charged. There is zero tolerance.
“This is a step in the right direction. Whenever drivers are in the presence of school buses, they should be where they can stop at any time. Drivers should be aware of this,” said Peterborough County OPP Constable Joe Ayotte .
“That’s a $490 fine and six demerit points if a driver drives a school bus with his red light on and stops signing out.”
Sloggate told Global News Peterborough that they expect the bus companies under STSCO’s umbrella to complete the retrofit by mid-August, in time for the start of the new school year.
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The updated lighting requirements came into force on 1 July, requiring all buses manufactured on or after January 2005 to be converted to the new system.
Buses will have to display modified signage on the rear of vehicles that read, “Don’t pass when the red light is flashing.”
“Safety is the bottom line and if it helps, we are all for it,” Sloggett said.
“Slow down and get ready to stop. Don’t rush to cross it because the few seconds you save could lead to a major accident.
To support the successful implementation of this new system, bus companies are getting a grace period till September 1 from the Ministry of Transport.
Operators and companies can apply to the government for grant money to complete the retrofit.
The last date to apply is 31st July.
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