Halton Hills renews push for school bus stop-arm cameras

By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca

 

Halton Hills council has once again called on the province to make school bus stop-arm cameras mandatory and to fund their rollout.

 

During the April 20 council meeting, council unanimously endorsed a motion that reaffirms the town’s “long-standing support for enhanced school bus safety measures” and urges the province to:

 

  Mandate installation of stop-arm camera systems on all school buses operating in Ontario.

 

  Provide full or substantial funding support, along with a standardized provincial implementation framework.

 

  Fully implement and standardize enforcement mechanisms, including the administrative monetary penalty framework to support consistent enforcement across the province.

 

Coun. Jason Brass stressed the urgency of addressing drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses when lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended.

 

“Nothing is more important than the safety of our children in our municipality, and quite frankly, every municipality,” he said.

 

He added that modern camera systems are now common and comparatively affordable.

 

“Camera technology has come such a long way and this is actually a fairly inexpensive thing now,” Brass said.

 

The motion described stop-arm cameras as an important tool to improve driver compliance, support enforcement and provide reliable video evidence when violations occur.

 

Halton Hills has pressed for stronger school bus safety enforcement in the past. The motion referenced several previous actions:

 

  A 2017 pilot initiative with Halton Regional Police to collect data on stop-arm violations.

 

  A resolution passed during the March 25, 2019 council meeting supporting the continued placement of school bus cameras.

 

  A July 10, 2023 resolution calling for provincial action to require stop-arm cameras on school buses and to fund their implementation.

 

Despite that “long-standing advocacy,” councillors said the illegal passing of stopped school buses remains a persistent safety concern, showing that more decisive, provincewide action is needed.

 

Coun. Matt Kindbom underscored that the issue goes to the heart of community responsibility.

 

“Children’s safety must come first. Passing a stopped school bus is reckless, dangerous and entirely preventable,” he said. “Stop-arm cameras are a practical enforcement tool and the province should move to require them and help fund their implementation.”

 

The town will circulate the resolution widely in an effort to build momentum for change. Copies will be sent to Premier Doug Ford, the minister of transportation, MPP Joseph Racinsky and other municipal and provincial stakeholders.