Province announces new tools, fines to improve bus safety

The Government of Ontario has announced new measures to give municipalities the tools they need to target drivers who threaten the safety of children crossing roads to get to and from their school bus.

“Drivers who endanger the safety of our children must be held accountable. These proposed changes will help ensure that our children are protected while on the way to, and from school,” said MPP Scott.

The proposed regulations will 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.

“With this additional measure in place, parents in Peterborough-Kawartha can be confident that their children are in the safest hands getting to and from school every day” said MPP Dave Smith.

MPP David Piccini added, “the proposed new measures will improve the safety of students and make sure that Ontario’s roads remain among the safest in North America by holding drivers accountable.”

“The safety of our most precious resource, our children, is our government’s number one priority,” said Minister Yurek. We intend to create a regulatory framework that will allow for more efficient enforcement and prosecution to keep our children safer.

Ontario 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.

Quick Facts: 

• Each school day, more than 837,000 students travel in a school vehicle in Ontario.
• Injuries and fatalities, which are very rare, happen more often outside the school bus as students are boarding and leaving the bus or crossing the street.