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140 Providence school buses to now capture license plate photos, videos of cars failing to stop
Enforcement will begin on October 1 after a warning period and citywide public awareness campaign; All 140 school buses in the Providence Public Schools fleet have been modernized with cutting-edge safety technology.
In a proactive effort to address dangerous driving behavior around school buses, the City of Providence and Providence Police Department have partnered with the Providence Public School District (PPSD) and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) to launch an equitable school bus safety enforcement program to curve illegal school bus passings, and better protect students.
As part of the safety initiative, the entire fleet of 140 Providence Public Schools buses, owned by First Student, will be outfitted with the most cutting edge and accurate photo enforcement technology in the country to detect the license plates of vehicles that fail to stop for school buses and put children at risk. The video evidence will be shared with local law enforcement for review before a summons is issued.
Enforcement will begin after an extensive warning period and the launch of a public awareness campaign to educate motorists about the importance of adhering to school bus safety traffic laws. Starting on PPSD’s first day of school, September 3, warning violations with no monetary penalty will be mailed to vehicle owners whose cars illegally pass by a stopped school bus. Enforcement will officially begin on October 1, 2024.
“We are excited to participate in this school bus safety initiative to help curve dangerous driving around our kids,” said PPSD Superintendent Javier Montañez. “Student safety is paramount in our efforts to educate Providence children. If the students feel safe in the community, then they are more likely to come to school which is essential to promote better attendance and achieve better academic outcomes.”
“Providence families deserve to know their children are safe on their way to school and as they head back home, and this new school bus safety program will help ensure that,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Greene. “With this initiative every bus that serves Providence Public Schools students will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology to help promote safe driving and prevent tragedies. As we head into the new school year, we ask that all drivers consider the safety of our kids and drive with caution.”
To further support safety, interior safety cameras will help monitor activity onboard the bus.
“At First Student, the safety and well-being of students are at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to partner with the City of Providence and Providence Public Schools on this critical initiative. By equipping our buses with the latest safety technology, we are taking an important step toward ensuring that every student arrives at school and returns home safely. This program is a testament to our shared commitment to protecting the children entrusted to our care,” said First Student Area General Manager Richard Caprirolo.
“We’re proud to partner with the City of Providence and Providence Public Schools to tackle reckless motorist behavior around school buses,” said Justin Meyers, President and Chief Innovation Officer at BusPatrol. “This partnership is a win-win for student safety and is proven to significantly reduce the rate of violations, with some communities successfully reducing violations by over 40% since implementing this technology.”
In accordance with Rhode Island state law, motorists approaching from either direction must stop for a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing. Only motorists approaching from the opposite direction on a divided highway with a barrier or median may proceed with caution. The penalty for a first-time offense is $250 and up to $500 for subsequent offenses. If enforced through a school bus safety camera, the infraction is considered a civil penalty with no license points.
Learn more about the Providence School Bus Safety Program at www.providenceschools.org/bussafety.
For more information about Providence Public Schools, visit www.providenceschools.org. Follow Providence Public Schools on Facebook, X (@pvdschools), or Instagram (@pvdschools) for timely updates.
There is no question that passing a stopped school bus with its red light flashing possibly endangers students. I say ‘possibly’ because this program is part student safety and part scam. Note the explanation taken from the school department notice itself.
“The incident data is sent via an encrypted LTE network to a secure cloud system, where it is filtered by artificial intelligence (AI) software before being reviewed by a trained safety specialist.
If the specialist determines the violation is an offense, the specialist prepares an evidence package for law enforcement. The package is built in accordance with State law, complete with video footage, license plate number, make, model, vehicle owner information, GPS location, and a timestamp of the incident.
The evidence package is sent to law enforcement partners via a secure cloud portal. Law enforcement officers review the evidence package to approve. If approved, a notice of violation is mailed to the vehicle’s owner, who is legally responsible for the violation per the law.”
The picture is sent electronically to a ‘safety specialist’ who reviews it and puts together the ‘evidence package’ before sending it to the police. At $250 -$500 (the fine) it’s evident the City of Providence and the employer of the ‘Safety Specialist’ each get a cut for there efforts. But here’s how the scam can work and I know it for a fact. After the children have been transported, and the bus is empty, the driver can park the bus at the curb and go for a coffee. While PARKED AT THE CURB simply moving the lever that makes the sign that protrudes from the driver’s side of the bus with a warning light and a camera, the driver of the parked bus can create a seemingly violation when drivers see the PARKED bus at the curb. Not only is that a money making scam, a judge is powerless to intervene. I sat in a court room watching more than a dozen people describe the same kind of event. But the article, which is notarized out of state by someone who did not see the violation and wasn’t authorized as a notary in RI but merely watched the video, also permits payment by mail without points assigned to their license. In essence there is an alleged violation and a fine. Now I agree, if the bus is in the middle of the street, not parked at the curb, and the lights are flashing and the long bar in the front of the bus is extended, and children are on the bus or entering or leaving it AND THE BUS MONITOR IS OFF THE BUS AS REQUIRED BY LAW, then it is reasonable to deduce a violation might have taken place.
Wouldn’t it be better to just equip cars with GPS enabled computers with built in printers and flashing light sensors on the outside . The sensors could detect when the bus lights are in use , the GPS would know if the car failed to stop and the printer could just print them a ticket . The cell phone connected computer could then notify the Insurance Company , the police and the bank of the infraction and they could all take appropriate action by jacking up your insurance rates , put you on the Police watch list and debit the fine from your bank account . Just think , we could unburden the Police from what has been , help the Insurance companies make us feel secure , punish the errant driver , reduce the need for Human Resources and protect the children all at the same time . Seems like a win-win-win to me , what could possibly go wrong ?
Also unclear if the photo is somehow automatic, takes ALL passing cars, or needs an operator of the camera…