Petition started to change city school bus bylaw

Petition wants change to school bus bylaw A petition is circulating because a city bylaw prevents school buses to use flashing red lights and stop signs. Stefanie Davis reports.

A petition has been started in the city of Regina in hopes of seeing a bylaw change.

The bylaw states that school buses cannot use their stop signs, stop arms and flashing safety lights within city limits.

Shawn Morrison wants that to change.

“The safety of the kids comes to my heart, because I have a grandson that’s almost school aged,” said Morrison.

He said it’s confusing for drivers, because in most parts of the province, buses can use their signs and lights.

“[Drivers] leave this city, go out of town, and they’re using them there, and they don’t know what to do, so they just blow past them,” said Morrison.

Morrison started the petition on January 15, and so far it has 316 signatures. But his goal is 24,000.

“If I can get 24,000 signatures it will force a referendum,” said Morrison. “Then the people of Regina will speak on it, and not the city council.”

One Regina mom is happy to sign the petition, after a close call her son had after getting off a school bus.

“My son was getting of the bus and there was a car that was coming by,” said Tina Moise. “It really scared me. I had to tell him to stop, because the car wouldn’t stop.”

Moise said her kids no longer take the bus. She’s concerned it’s not always the safest option.

Meanwhile the City of Regina said the bylaw, which has been in place for more than a decade, is encouraging children to be safer.

“Vehicles don’t always stop for the flashing arms, and we don’t want to encourage kids at a young age to be jaywalking and just walking across the street, thinking it’s safe for them because the school bus arms are out,” said Norman Kyle, the director of roadways and transportation for the city of Regina.

Morrison raised the question of what the difference between school bus lights, and lights on a pedestrian crosswalk is – asking why it would be any safer to rely on motorists to stop at a crosswalk.

The city said painted and lit cross walks are designed in the busiest pedestrian areas. Also, crosswalks are always in the same place, so motorists get familiar with where they are.

In some other parts of the province, including rural areas, the bus lights and stop signs are used.

Kyle said it’s because there is less infrastructure in smaller centres for kids to rely on for safety.

“There isn’t an intersection or crosswalk for the students,” said Kyle. “Quite often on a lot of the roads, they’re too narrow. They don’t have a shoulder for the kids to get out on.”

Kyle said Regina adopted the bylaw after studies were done proving it was safer for children to rely on set crosswalks and intersections. Alberta cities including Calgary and Edmonton implemented it first.

The bylaw change would have to come from city council, but Morrison plans to continue collecting signatures, in hopes of seeing that change.