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Bethlehem installs plate readers on buses
Posted on Fri, May 1st, 2009
Written by: Jarrett Carroll,
email: Carrollj@spotlightnews.com
If you try to pass a school bus in Bethlehem or don’t come to a complete stop for yellow or red flashing lights— smile, because you’re on candid camera.
In a joint press conference held at Eagle Elementary on Thursday, April 23, the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles and Association for Pupil Transportation, NYAPT, teamed up with State Police, Bethlehem police and local officials to announce a new pilot program targeting those who violate traffic regulations meant to promote bus safety.
Bethlehem Central school buses are being equipped with digital license plate readers in order to crack down on vehicle violations. District officials wouldn’t say which buses or which routes would have the plate readers so that drivers would assume that each bus is equipped with such equipment.
The announcement served as a kickoff to Operation Safe Stop 2009, a statewide effort to educate the public about the dangers of passing a school bus or not stopping completely for flashing lights. It is illegal to pass a school bus, according to the state’s Vehicle and Traffic Law, Sec. 1174.
Executive director of NYAPT, Peter Mannella, said that 2.3 million of the nation’s children ride school buses and that each and every one of them deserves a safe passage to and from school each day.
“Every day throughout the school year, at least 50,000 motorist will make a choice to pass a school bus illegally,” Mannella said. “They will make the choice to take the chance of injuring or killing one of the children, potentially one of the school children in this very district today.”
Theresa Eagan, deputy director of the state’s DMV and former Bethlehem supervisor, said the program would help keep kids safe.
“The plate reader program is going to go a long way to changing the perception that passing a school bus is OK,” she said.
Bethlehem Superintendent Michael Tebbano echoed Eagan’s sentiments.
“There’s nothing more important than the safety of the children,” said Tebbano. “We are hopeful this will be a successful pilot program.”
Bethlehem Police Chief Louis Corsi said that tickets would not be immediately handed out to violators caught by the plate reader, but that warnings would send to motorists as part of an investigation into the matter.
He called it “an education process,” but said repeat offenders would be dealt with appropriately.
Charmaine Wijeyesinghe, president of the Elsmere PTA and a Bethlehem Board of Education candidate, said children and parents have to do their part, too.
“Our children have a role in obeying the rules of the bus … and we as parents have a responsibility to their safety,” she said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to engage in a dialogue with the community.”
Mannella said that participating police agencies have issued more than 1,200 tickets on the annual Operation Safe Stop day.
The pilot program was used on a school bus in Syracuse in 2008 and is being debuted this year in Bethlehem, Canandaigua and Brewster school districts.
You can contact Carrollj@spotlightnews.com with any questions. Also, feel free to post comments below.
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Posted on Fri, May 1st, 2009
Written by: Jarrett Carroll,
email: Carrollj@spotlightnews.com
If you try to pass a school bus in Bethlehem or don’t come to a complete stop for yellow or red flashing lights— smile, because you’re on candid camera.
In a joint press conference held at Eagle Elementary on Thursday, April 23, the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles and Association for Pupil Transportation, NYAPT, teamed up with State Police, Bethlehem police and local officials to announce a new pilot program targeting those who violate traffic regulations meant to promote bus safety.
Bethlehem Central school buses are being equipped with digital license plate readers in order to crack down on vehicle violations. District officials wouldn’t say which buses or which routes would have the plate readers so that drivers would assume that each bus is equipped with such equipment.
The announcement served as a kickoff to Operation Safe Stop 2009, a statewide effort to educate the public about the dangers of passing a school bus or not stopping completely for flashing lights. It is illegal to pass a school bus, according to the state’s Vehicle and Traffic Law, Sec. 1174.
Executive director of NYAPT, Peter Mannella, said that 2.3 million of the nation’s children ride school buses and that each and every one of them deserves a safe passage to and from school each day.
“Every day throughout the school year, at least 50,000 motorist will make a choice to pass a school bus illegally,” Mannella said. “They will make the choice to take the chance of injuring or killing one of the children, potentially one of the school children in this very district today.”
Theresa Eagan, deputy director of the state’s DMV and former Bethlehem supervisor, said the program would help keep kids safe.
“The plate reader program is going to go a long way to changing the perception that passing a school bus is OK,” she said.
Bethlehem Superintendent Michael Tebbano echoed Eagan’s sentiments.
“There’s nothing more important than the safety of the children,” said Tebbano. “We are hopeful this will be a successful pilot program.”
Bethlehem Police Chief Louis Corsi said that tickets would not be immediately handed out to violators caught by the plate reader, but that warnings would send to motorists as part of an investigation into the matter.
He called it “an education process,” but said repeat offenders would be dealt with appropriately.
Charmaine Wijeyesinghe, president of the Elsmere PTA and a Bethlehem Board of Education candidate, said children and parents have to do their part, too.
“Our children have a role in obeying the rules of the bus … and we as parents have a responsibility to their safety,” she said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to engage in a dialogue with the community.”
Mannella said that participating police agencies have issued more than 1,200 tickets on the annual Operation Safe Stop day.
The pilot program was used on a school bus in Syracuse in 2008 and is being debuted this year in Bethlehem, Canandaigua and Brewster school districts.
You can contact Carrollj@spotlightnews.com with any questions. Also, feel free to post comments below.
Readers had this to say
Nobody has made any comments about this yet... you could be the first. Comment about this article.