Over 10, 000 students will be hopping on board school buses in Anglophone East next week.
A social media campaign has been launched, to send a message to motorists, in an effort to ensure students are kept safe.
Director of Finance and Administration Aubrey Kirkpatrick says they are reminding motorists to stop, “Our Transportation Department gets reports from our Bus Drivers on a daily basis. There are anywhere between five and ten reports a day on average where drivers have gone through red flashing lights.”
Kirkpatrick says fines for those who refuse to stop, can be over a thousand dollars and a loss of four demerit points.
Motorists need to be keeping a watchful eye, as students try to board or cross the road after getting off the bus.
“When the school bus is starting its process to load or unload students, the yellow flashing lights come on, and motorists need to start to slow down and be aware that children will be entering or exiting the bus. Then the lights will turn red,” Kirkpatrick says.
There are 502 bus routes in the Anglophone East School District, with 3900 stops.
“The morning tends to be a time when cars don’t stop more frequently. We just want people to be aware that this is a safety issue, and we want to keep our students safe.”
