By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-906238.mp3
Dallas, TX – The people who operate 17 thousand school buses in Dallas County, want the city of Dallas to create official crossing zones around stopped buses.
Rick Sorrells, Superintendent of Dallas County Schools, says the "crossing zones" would allow the use of cameras on the bus to catch and ticket drivers who illegally pass while students are loading or unloading. He says a pilot program revealed a dangerous problem.
Sorrells: In the fall of 2006 we conducted a survey. The survey showed in one day we had 769 violations of people running the "stop arm". 769 violations in one day.
Sorrells told Dallas City Council members the program would be similar to red light cameras. But the fines would be much higher around 300 dollars.
Council members want more information about potential cost to the city: including police verification of violations, and the impact on the municipal courts.
The issue will come back up in August.