PITTSBURGH — A school bus safety program is yielding results for Pittsburgh Public Schools, though officials say there’s still work to be done.
PPS last week released data regarding illegal school bus passings during the 2024-2025 school year. Officials say their program is helping to deter dangerous driving behavior around buses that puts kids at risk.
“At Pittsburgh Public Schools, nothing matters more than the safety of our students”, said Superintendent Wayne N. Walters. “As unsafe driving habits continue around our school buses, it’s more important than ever that we enforce the law and protect the children who rely on us daily.”
PPS partnered with BusPatrol in May 2023 to equip the school district’s fleet with safety cameras that use AI to detect vehicles illegally passing stopped buses. PPS police review the footage and decide if a violation occurred, officials say.
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State law requires drivers to stop for school buses with their red lights flashing. Penalties are assigned to the vehicle owners and come with a minimum civil penalty of $300.
Between Aug. 26, 2024, and June 12, just under 11,000 vehicles didn’t stop for a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing in Pittsburgh, officials say.
According to the data, the most violations during the 2024-25 school year happened in the 5300 block of Fifth Avenue (392 violations), 5800 block of Fifth Avenue (361) and 5500 block of Penn Avenue (261).
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More than 95% of the violations PPS observed were first-time offenses. Officials say that indicates the program is effectively deterring repeat behavior.
“We’re seeing fewer repeat violations, which means the message is getting through,” said Justin Meyers, BusPatrol president and chief innovation officer. “But there’s still work to be done. This program is about curbing reckless driving habits, protecting kids, and building a culture of safety around every school bus.”
The safety program has drawn concern from some community members over the profit BusPatrol and PPS receive from ticket payments.
In May of 2024, PennDOT took over hearings for people fighting their tickets from local magistrates.
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