AISD to crack down on bus passing

Be aware: The Austin Independent School District has mounted cameras on the sides of its buses in an effort to help stop motorists from illegally passing stopped buses in the process of boarding or disembarking schoolchildren. According to a press release about the safety initiative, “A recent study completed by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services found that in a single day in Texas, more than 7,600 cars illegally passed stopped school buses.” Indeed, according to that same press release, a pilot program conducted by AISD in spring 2014 recorded an average of 60 violations per day. Texas carries a $300 penalty for the first offense of a school bus stop-arm violation; however, for the first month of the program, Austin Police officers will be issuing only warnings.