'It's a dangerous situation for those kids': School bus driver frustrated over drivers ignoring stop signs
A frustrated school bus driver is speaking out about safety concerns he has for his young students, after seeing drivers cruise by his bus when his stop sign was activated.
In the rear-view mirror of his school bus, driver Reg Hitch can see his bus’s lights flashing and the stop sign activated – as well as vehicles zipping through and ignoring the warning signs to stop.
"It's a dangerous situation for those kids," Hitch told CTV News Winnipeg.
Hitch started taking videos of the incidents because he said too many drivers are going through the stop sign when elementary school children are getting on and off the bus.
“It started to eat away at me with the amount of people that were going through," he said.
He said a section on South Pembina Highway near the Perimeter is one of the trouble spots.
“As I was loading the students on the bus – they were actually climbing up into the bus – three cars just whipped out from behind me and went straight through my stop sign," he said, adding the problem is getting worse.
The Winnipeg Police Service tweeted this week it is getting numerous reports lately about safety around school buses.
The cost of running through a school bus stop sign is a $672 fine plus demerit points on your license.
It said in 2017 and 2018, no tickets were issued for running a school bus stop sign. There were 29 tickets handed out in 2019, and 22 tickets in 2020.
The number of tickets has jumped to 80 so far this year, most handed out within the Winnipeg School Division.
The police said part of the increase can be tied to the fact that a standard reporting process between the service and school divisions was implemented in 2019.
Many city school buses now have cameras attached and that can be helpful in issuing tickets.
“When you have the video showing the offence, that goes a long way to ensure a conviction in court," said Staff Sgt. Rod Hutter of the Winnipeg Police Service.
But there may be limits to gathering video of all infractions.
In the Pembina Trails School Division where Hitch drives, only half of the buses are equipped with cameras. Hitch’s bus is among those that is not.
“It's about cost. Cameras are expensive and so it’s a matter of containing cost," said Ted Fransen, the superintendent of the Pembina Trails School Division.
Fransen said the division does share the video evidence with police.
“We do encourage our drivers to report it, but our drivers are really, really busy driving the bus, keeping kids safe on the bus," he said.
Area Councillor Janice Lukes said she would like as much video evidence shared with police as possible plus more deterrence measures.
“Really what I want is I want more enforcement," she said. "If people don’t get it, the bus is lit up like a Christmas tree. Like, it’s pretty hard to miss.”
The police service said it will beef up enforcement in problem locations.
Hitch said it comes down to education, awareness, and respect from drivers.
"Somebody’s seriously is going to get injured here," he said. "I’m more concerned about the children than myself.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL has suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.