Increase in Illegal School Bus Passing by Thunder Bay Drivers Persists
Illegal Passing of School Buses in Thunder Bay Continues to Rise, Officials Say
The number of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses in Thunder Bay remains a serious concern, according to the city’s school transportation consortium.
As of January 31, school bus drivers in the city reported 737 instances of vehicles ignoring extended stop arms and flashing red lights. This averages 7.7 violations per school day, up from 6.5 in 2023-24, 5.2 in 2022-23, and 3.7 in 2021-22, according to Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay (STSTB).
Consortium manager Craig Murphy expressed frustration over the rising trend, emphasizing that student safety should be a priority for the entire community. “We’ve been working for years to raise awareness and collaborate with different levels of government, but the numbers keep increasing,” he said.
Challenges in Enforcing Stop-Arm Violations
Currently, violations are reported manually by bus drivers and shared with Thunder Bay Police and the Ontario Provincial Police. However, Murphy noted that bus drivers cannot always capture the necessary details, such as a license plate number, while ensuring students’ safety.
Unlike some regions, Thunder Bay school buses are not equipped with stop-arm cameras, which would automatically capture images of offending vehicles. Murphy stated that while Ontario is working on legislative changes to allow stop-arm camera footage as admissible evidence, the city’s administration deemed such a program “not feasible” in 2022.
A key barrier is that the province does not permit private companies running stop-arm camera programs to access Ontario’s vehicle owner database. This restriction prevents companies from processing violations and issuing tickets, even though similar access is granted to private parking operators, toll companies, and investigators.
New Federal Safety Measures Coming
Meanwhile, the federal government has announced new regulations requiring school buses to be equipped with “perimeter visibility systems” to improve safety. These systems use cameras to help bus drivers see around the bus before moving.
Additionally, while not mandatory, new regulations allow manufacturers to install infraction cameras that could record vehicles illegally passing stopped buses.
Murphy welcomed the changes, particularly perimeter visibility systems, which he said would help drivers monitor the “danger zone” around buses. “We always teach students to stay out of that three-foot area around the bus, but these cameras will provide an extra layer of safety,” he said.
Transport Canada’s new perimeter visibility requirements took effect on December 14, 2024, with all new school buses required to have them by November 1, 2027.
