Amber Bos has the Perth County OPP on speed dial, because at least once a week, she sees a vehicle flying through the flashing school bus stop sign as her children get off the bus.
“Since September, I’ve probably called at least 20 times, and I only call if I have the make, model, and licence plate number,” said the Perth County mother.
Bos says cars ignoring the school bus stop sign has been a chronic problem since her children started school four years ago.
Her husband actually stopped a vehicle that was about to run the school bus stop sign recently. He got a picture of the offending vehicle and driver, but because the school bus wasn’t in the picture, police told Bos they couldn’t lay charges.
“He shouldn’t be running out on the road, but there’s so much desperation. We’ve got to have something happen. We want to see charges laid, and people stopping,” she said.
Bos isn’t alone. She revealed she’s talked to many other parents who are seeing the same problem, especially on their section of Highway 7/8 between Stratford and St. Marys.
“We spoke to somebody from the First Student Transportation, the bus company, and they said, in the months December and January, there were over 100 calls about this, and only two resulted in charges,” she said.
Police have acknowledged that motorists not stopping for school buses is an ongoing problem that they are doing their best to resolve.
Bos said the OPP had a cruiser at their laneway last week and followed her children’s bus as well. She appreciates it, but it hasn’t stopped drivers from blowing through the red stop sign attached to her children’s school bus.
“I don’t know what more we can do. I’m afraid someone is going to get hurt, or a child is going to be killed, because there seems to be no accountability, or follow up from anybody,” admitted Bos.
