DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) – School is almost out but by next year, there could be changes to Mesquite ISD school buses. Mesquite City Council is scheduled to vote May 16th on whether or not to add cameras to school buses that could help catch drivers who disregard the buses’ stop arms. The cameras would be placed on the buses at no cost to taxpayers.
“We have had situations where bus drivers have seen students almost get hit because of cars not stopping for a bus to unload or load,” said Kathyrn Bohling, Mesquite ISD Assistant Superintendent in charge of Business Services.
According to American Traffic Solutions (ATS), in Texas 7,676 vehicles ignore, or violate, the stop arms every day. The company launched a similar program in Austin earlier this year, and in one month the company captured 1,000 vehicles violating the stop arms.”
The system proposed by ATS would give police a tool to aid enforcement without committing extra resources. The company outfits buses with technology that captures vehicles when they run the stop arms. About 700 buses around the U.S. are outfitted with the ATS system. The company’s revenue comes from receiving a portion of the paid fines that occur as a result of the cameras. Once a person receives a fine because of the ATS system, there is a 99 percent future compliance rate with stop arms for that person.
The company will also provide the school district and police with information about where the violations occur most frequently, so they can efficiently allocate resources. If approved, ATS will outfit buses that service the routes with the most offenders by next school year.
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