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Overtaking of school buses 'to be banned'

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Published Date: 25 October 2008
By ALASTAIR DALTON
DRIVERS would be banned from overtaking school buses while picking up and dropping off pupils under a planned Scottish pilot scheme backed by the transport minister.
Stewart Stevenson has vowed to lobby his Westminster counterparts to allow a trial of the US-style system used for yellow school buses.

The move came after Mr Stevenson met the parents of two pupils who were killed last month in Aberdeenshire when
they were hit by cars after stepping off school buses.

Robyn Oldham, 15, died yards from her home near Turriff on 4 September, while Alexander Milne, 12, died near his home in Lonmay two weeks later.

Mr Stevenson, who met their parents as the constituency MSP, also supported the use of hazard lights by school buses when stationary, and flashing lights on top of the vehicles.

The Scottish Government said the use of hazard lights could already be stipulated by local authorities in school bus contracts.

The minister said he hoped to persuade Jim Murphy, the new Scottish Secretary, to support an overtaking ban trial, despite it being rejected by Geoff Hoon, the UK Transport Secretary.

He said: "The overtaking ban is certainly something which is very successful in other jurisdictions.

"It is my intention to pick up on the willingness that Jim Murphy has indicated to work with the Scottish Government on a number of issues.

"I think this is an issue where I would wish to speak to him and see what scope there is for an experiment in Scotland … if we should apply it here."





Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 24 October 2008 9:46 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Steven M.,

Salmondland. Where men are men and sheep are nervo 25/10/2008 00:46:30
Typical labour lies. If Scotland was independent everything would be great.
2

tomi,

25/10/2008 04:57:28
A good idea.
Too many driver are careless when near schools and school buses when there are children about.
Often it seems that the worst drivers are some who are dropping off or collecting their own precious cargoes, but seem to have no regard for other people's children.

Have drivers stop when near school buses that are loading or discharging children, and have special low speed limits near school at the times that pupils are around.

Whether Scotland is indepentant or not is irrelevant.
3

donald,

glasgow 25/10/2008 06:13:30
"Steven M.,
Salmondland. Where men are men and sheep are nervo 25/10/2008 00:46:30
Typical labour lies. If Scotland was independent everything would be great."

So it would and we would not be racing school buses.
4

fife runner,

25/10/2008 08:18:42
and while they are at it make it a specific offence to park out side school gates
5

Pocket Dictionary,

25/10/2008 08:46:40
I live on a street in Fife which has become a 'rabbit run' for drivers. There is a speed activated sign just before the special school warning drivers to slow down and at peak times it is constantly lit because of the speeding cars.

Other kids are walking down the street on their way to the local primary and high schools. Cars are passing them travelling at 40 - 60 mph in a 30 mph zone. They overtake on the blind bends at these speeds. And with cars parked on the pavements, mothers with prams and buggies taking their older kids to school are forced to walk on the road.

Fife Council do know because a letter was in the press, local kids drew up a petition for a crossing to be installed after one of their friends was knocked off his bike. The electronic speed counter has been laid over the road umpteen times and still nothing has been done.

The street is in urgent need of traffic calming measures.
6

Unimpressed one,

25/10/2008 09:38:56
But this story has been around for years and still nothing's happened. It's obvious that the US school bus system is a great idea but for some reason it has never seen the light of day here despite all the talk.
7

Guga II,

Rockall 25/10/2008 12:38:16
They also need to try and educate a great many of the schoolchildren as so many of them have a habit of jumping off the bus and running out from behind it, or in front of it, and straight across the road.

Very recently, one of these precious little darlings, who had been told continually by the bus driver not to do this, was knocked down. His continual response to the bus driver's warnings was to tell him to f*** off. This particular little darling will maybe think twice about it in future as, inevitably, he ran out in front of a van. The fact that he will be given another chance is due to the van driver having been driving very slowly past the bus.

So, let's not be so quick to blame the car drivers for everything.
8

,

25/10/2008 21:11:17
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