County roads back-to-school busy Tuesday

The Tri-Board Student Transportation buses will roll out in full force Tuesday.

School buses, pedestrians and cyclists will be on the move bright and early Tuesday morning as about 15,000 students return to school in Hastings and Prince Edward counties.

Entering the third September of the pandemic, on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, most COVID-19 health and safety requirements remain unchanged from the end of the school year in June.

Wearing masks is optional. It is recommended all continue to self-screen daily and stay home if feeling ill.

OPP officers note they will have zero tolerance while watching for drivers who disobey traffic laws in relation to school bus safety.

Motorists encountering a stopped school bus with its safety lights and equipment activated must stop before reaching the bus, and shall not proceed until the bus moves or the safety lights and equipment have been deactivated.

This applies whether you are meeting or following a school bus and includes multi-lane roads. The only exception is when driving on a road with a median – traffic coming from the opposite direction is not required to stop.

The fine for failing to stop for a school bus is $400 to $2,000 and six demerit points for the first offence. Subsequent offences carry a fine between $1,000 and $4,000, six demerit points and possible jail time (up to six months).