The Anglophone East School District is hoping to crack down on motorists who choose to pass school buses while their lights are flashing.
Director of Finance Aubrey Kirkpatrick says they’ve purchased a camera system that is specifically made for buses,”It has four cameras and a recording device on the bus. It will look at the front and rear license plates, as well as give us a clue to who is driving that vehicle.”
He says around ten of these infractions are reported every day by their bus drivers and this puts a child at risk.
“We want to make sure that the system works well, that the information we get will lead to less infractions of coming through a flashing red lights, as well as helping with enforcement of those who do that,” Kirkpatrick says.
The camera system is currently installed on a route where they are frequently seeing these infractions happen.
Kirkpatrick says the camera system cost $6000, and that is why only one could be purchased as a part of the pilot project.
He says once the information is obtained, the district hopes to work with the RCMP to help with enforcement. If the project proves to be successful, Kirkpatrick hopes that more money will be invested to allow them to purchase more camera systems to be installed.
The have around 100 buses in the school bus fleet.
