The Northwestern Ontario Student Services Consortium wants to remind drivers about the new amber-red warning system on all school buses.
Dan Ridgway, the general manager for the consortium, said drivers should be aware of a minor change to lights on every school bus. “So the first set of alternating that turn on when a bus completes a stop procedure will be amber and then once the bus completes the stop the red lights activate,” he said.
While the legislation requiring school bus lighting systems came into effect on July 1st, Ridgway said, “all bus operators had to be in compliance by the start of the school year.”
“It’s just a more clear system of making drivers aware of when they need to stop,” he said. “The message is that drivers should be prepared to stop for a school bus when the red lights and stop signs are activated.”
Ridgeway said anyone wanting to learn more about the new regulations including watching a video of the new system in action can visit their webpage on safety programs and initiatives.
The Consortium provides school bus transportation for the Kenora Catholic, Keewatin-Patricia, and Northwest Catholic District School boards as well as the Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique Aurores boréales.
