Following recent resident uproar on social media pertaining to an alleged incident of a car passing a stopped school bus, The Newtown Bee sought information regarding bus stop protocols for drivers and students.

According to All-Star Transportation Newtown Terminal Manager Alan Colangelo, cases of cars passing stopped school buses at bus stops happen everywhere across the country. All-Star Transportation’s Newtown terminal, though, does not hear many complaints.

“You probably hear about it about once a month,” said Mr Colangelo.

As of January 14, the last incident of a car passing a stopped bus was reported to All-Star Transportation “a couple of weeks ago.”

The correct way for a resident to report a case of a car passing a bus at a bus stop would be to contact the Newtown Police Department, according to Mr Colangelo. If a resident has the license plate number of the car that passed a bus, Mr Colangelo said the police can follow-up on the incident.

“The officers in town have been outstanding in following-up on supporting the school bus drivers,” Mr Colangelo added.

According to Newtown Police Department Records Manager Barbara Whittaker, there have been two cases of cars passing stopped buses reported to the local police since September, and both of those were in September, as of January 14.

According to the Connecticut State Police Public Information Office, the current fine for passing a stopped school bus is $470 for the first offense, and if the violation is committed in a construction zone, the fine amount would be $920. The statute also specifies penalties, a written warning, or summons could follow. The statute reads, “The operator of any vehicle or motor vehicle, including an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in section 14-1, shall immediately bring such vehicle to a stop not less than ten feet from the front when approaching and not less than ten feet from the rear when overtaking or following any registered school bus on any highway or private road or in any parking area or on any school property when such bus is displaying flashing red signal lights, except at the specific direction of a traffic officer. Vehicles so stopped for a school bus shall not proceed until such school bus no longer displays flashing red signal lights, except that a stopped authorized emergency vehicle may proceed, as long as such authorized emergency vehicle is operated pursuant to section 14-283. At the intersection of two or more highways, vehicular turns toward a school bus receiving or discharging passengers are prohibited. The operator of a vehicle upon a highway with separate roadways need not stop upon meeting or passing a school bus which is on a different roadway.”

To ensure student safety, Mr Colangelo said students and parents should follow bus safety protocols like waiting for the driver to signal a student when it is safe to cross and still looking both ways before crossing a street to get on a bus.

Mr Colangelo also shared All-Star Transportation’s Bus Stops/Expectations protocols for students and family members to follow. The following expectations released by All-Star Transportation also ran in The Newtown Bee’s 2018 Back to School supplement and pertain to all matters of riding a school bus.

Bus Stops/Expectations

Students should be out at the bus stop about ten minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. Times change slightly based on a number of factors (road conditions, weather, students at previous stops not there, etc). Students should not be inside the house or at the top of driveways waiting to put coats on when the bus arrives.

When the bus stops, students should be ready to board immediately.

The school bus is an extension of the classroom, and students are expected to maintain behavior acceptable in a classroom setting. It helps the driver out tremendously if parents go over these behavior expectations to promote a safe, hassle-free ride for all students.

Students should never cross in front of a bus without a visible signal from the driver that it is safe to do so. Likewise, no student should ever run toward/from the rear or alongside of a bus. A driver may not see a student in some danger zone blind spots. If a student drops something, never run up to the side of the bus to retrieve it.

There is a danger zone around a bus where a driver may not see the student in a mirror. Always yell out to get the driver’s attention if you need them to remain stopped for any reason.

Bus Conduct Expectations

1. Demonstrate respectful conduct as in the classroom.

2. Be courteous and kind; do not use profanity.

3. Refrain from eating or drinking on the bus.

4. Keep the bus clean.

5. Cooperate with the driver.

6. Do not smoke (this includes electronic cigarettes/vaping).

7. Be respectful of equipment and others’ belongings.

8. Remain seated until the bus is stopped completely at the student’s bus stop.

9. Keep head, hands, and feet inside the bus.

10. The bus driver is authorized to assign seats.

For the Reed and elementary buses, grade level seating is enforced with youngest grades at the front of the bus and Reed students at the rear of the bus.