Double fines for passing school buses: Myers

Opposition MLA Steven Myers wants to see fines doubled for drivers who illegally pass school buses in P.E.I.

He tabled a private members’ bill in the P.E.I. legislature proposing the fine increase, saying he feels Island drivers are simply not getting the message about the danger posed to children when a vehicle passes a school bus.

“I have a big concern about how we can best deter this strictly out of safety who are coming home or getting on the bus in the morning,” he said.

“Now that we have kindergarten in part of school system, you can have children as young as just five standing out at the gate. When the bus stops it’s a big excitement for them and they dart out.”

He says he believes doubling the fines would be a major disincentive to drivers and force them to think twice before passing a school bus while its flashing lights are activated.

Transportation Minister Paula Biggar said she was not opposed to the bill but cited a wish to study more statistics and look at how insurance rates and demerit points could also be brought into the conversation.

The legislature unanimously agreed to take the bill off the floor and send it to a legislative committee for further study.

Currently, the fine for passing a school bus when the red lights are flashing is a minimum of $1,000 and up to $5,000 and a loss of eight demerit points.