School District In Ottawa Wants Bus Stop-Arm Cameras

Over 200 people were nabbed by police in 2 days for running school bus stop signs. New cameras would catch speed bullies as they endanger kids' lives.

Councillor wants 'red light cameras' on school buses; Changes to provincial laws needed to nab drivers who don't stop

The number of drivers blowing past stop signs affixed to school buses has the city pursuing more options to nab - and educate - scofflaw motorists.

In addition to a public education campaign, Cumberland Coun. Stephen Blais wants the city to push for the province to allow the installation of cameras on school bus stop-sign arms, similar to the ones used to catch drivers who run red lights.

"We've had a lot of concern from school bus operators about more and more people running stop signs when the school bus is stopped," Blais said.

The complaints prompted the police to do targeted enforcement in January and February.

"It yielded good results in terms of they got a lot of people, but it's bad results because

it means a lot of people are going through stop signs," Blais said.

Police handed out more than 200 infractions for violations in school zones over two days in January, Blais said, adding that it's "an outrageously high number." That includes speeding, as well as failing to stop for a school bus, which carries a fine of between $400 and $2,000 and six demerit points on the first offence.

The technology to attach a camera on a school bus stop sign exists, but the problem is provincial legislation, Blais said. Cameras are already used in Alberta and in some United States counties.

Unlike a red-light camera, which acts as its own evidence of the crime, images from a camera mounted on a school bus stop sign are not admissible in court, meaning the bus driver would have to show up to corroborate the information.

Blais already wrote to the minister of transportation and Ottawa-area MPs to request a change to the legislation that would allow automatic ticketing for stop-sign camera violations, similar to the way it's done for red-light cameras. On Feb. 12 he gave notice that he'll bring a motion to the next city council meeting to ask for the city to officially back his push and write to the minister requesting the change.

In the meantime, Blais said the city's transportation department has a couple ideas in the works to tackle the issue.

First, an education campaign including new roadside signs will launch this spring to remind drivers to stop behind school buses. Second, Blais is hoping the city will sponsor a pilot project to put the cameras on some school buses.

The councillor has been discussing the issue with ML Bradley, the major school-bus operator in Cumberland and the city's traffic department