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Ontario Announces Measures to Increase School Bus Safety

NORTH BAY – Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli is pleased with an announcement today by Jeff Yurek, Minister of Transportation about new measures to give municipalities the tools they need to target drivers who threaten the safety of children crossing roads to their school or home, including those related to school bus stop arm cameras.

Fedeli noted this has been a key priority of the “Let’s Remember Adam” campaign, started after the death of five-year old Adam Ranger in Mattawa in 2000.  He was struck by a truck that failed to stop for his school bus.

The proposed regulations would allow for more efficient enforcement and prosecution by allowing evidence from these cameras to be used in court without the requirement of an additional witness.

“In February, Adam’s brother Pierre and I met to discuss his continued advocacy regarding the need for school bus stop-arm cameras.  Today, our government is taking action. The safety of our most precious resource, our children, is our government’s top priority.  I spoke with Pierre today who said he hopes this will spare other families from going through what their family lived through,” said Fedeli.

Ontario also plans to introduce legislation that, if passed, would allow municipalities to target drivers who threaten the safety of children on school buses with new, additional monetary penalties.

“We fully support Minister Yurek and his government’s announcement of regulatory change to permit the use of school bus stop-arm cameras as evidence of passing a stopped school bus,” said Rob Murphy, President of the Independent School Bus Operator Association. “We have been looking forward to this announcement for some years. This announcement will help ensure children across our province will continue to be transported safely to and from school.”