The City of Williams Lake will be providing a letter in support of School District 27 calling for an increase in fines and demerit points for failing to stop for a school bus.
Mayor Walt Cobb, says it’s a huge issue.
“There was a presentation made and I can’t remember where I saw it, people were passing the school bus on the right-hand side as the kids stepped out off the street and it comes so close,” he said.
“My son works at the School District and looks after buses and in one of the buses one of the kids said oh there goes my dad so I mean that’s pretty scary where parents who have kids on the buses aren’t adhering.”
Councillor Ivan Bonnell who also supported the recommendation which passed unanimously at Tuesday’s night regular City Council meeting, says he thinks that it is appropriate for them to find other ways and means whether it be increasing the fines and demerits for drivers to respect the safety of children getting on and off school buses.
“I’ve witnessed carnage in the past and in my experience with that happening, I would not wish to see that again happen in the future and people need to understand that you do not pass a school bus when it’s lights are flashing and it’s either loading or unloading children,
Bonnell said.
“You wait until they’re done until you go to proceed.”
School District 27 sent a letter to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Suzanne Anton, formally requesting that the penalty for driver infractions be reviewed to increase the penalty to $368.00 with 6 demerit points at the beginning of this month.
The current penalty for failing to stop for a school bus in BC is $167.00 plus 3 demerit points.
Approximately 3,000 children (60% of the student population) in School District 27 ride school buses.