For Immediate Release
April 12, 2017
Council Committed to Improving School Bus Safety: Mayor Crombie
Mississauga Council is pressing ahead with the use of technology that will help keep students, citizens, neighbourhoods and our streets safer, Mayor Bonnie Crombie said today.
Mayor Crombie made the comments following last week’s General Committee, where Council passed a motion in support of Bill 94, Highway Traffic Amendment Act (School Bus Camera Systems), 2017 after receiving a deputation from Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR). STOPR plans and implements home-to-school transportation for approximately 65,000 students travelling to 400 school sites. Today, Council passed the resolution.
“Bill 94 will make it easier to get convictions for drivers who do not stop when lights are flashing and the stop arm is down on a school bus,” Mayor Crombie said. The Bill updates the Highway Traffic Act to provide clear rules on using photographic or video evidence obtained through school bus camera systems in order to penalize offenders.
“Thousands of school children use over 900 school buses daily in the City of Mississauga,” Mayor Crombie added.
“The pilot project shows that our children are being subjected to a high rate of risk of injury or fatality every time they exit school buses because a concerning number of drivers simply do not stop when school buses stop to let off.”
“We must take action to reduce these incidences and increase safety for our children,” Mayor Crombie said. “We cannot wait for serious injury or a fatality before we act.”
The resolution states that the City of Mississauga will work with the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of the Attorney General to assist on developing policy and regulations in support of Bill 94.
“I want to acknowledge Ward 3 Councillor Chris Fonseca for bringing forward this important resolution for discussion and debate, and for her ongoing work as a member of the Traffic Safety Council,” Mayor Crombie added.
The Traffic Safety Council is an advisory committee of Council that makes recommendations designed to protect students from the dangers of vehicular traffic.
Mayor Crombie concluded “No parent or guardian should ever have to think about the safety of their child getting to and from school each day.”
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