Bill 246, Safer School Buses Act, 2021
An Act to amend the Highway Traffic Act

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Highway Traffic Act is amended to require school buses manufactured on or after January 1, 2005 to be equipped with four overhead amber signal-lights and four overhead red signal-lights. The amendments require drivers of those school buses to actuate the overhead amber signal-lights when beginning to slow down for the purpose of stopping to receive or discharge children or adults with developmental disabilities and to actuate the red signal-lights and school bus stop arm as soon as the bus is stopped. Consequential amendments are also made.

Bill 246 2021

An Act to amend the Highway Traffic Act

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

1 (1)  Section 175 of the Highway Traffic Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Overhead signal-lights

(4.1)  Every school bus registered in Ontario that is manufactured on or after January 1, 2005 shall be equipped with four overhead red signal-lights and four overhead amber signal-lights mounted outside of the bus at or near the roof line in the following configuration:

   1.  One red signal-light and one amber signal-light on each side of the bus at the front.

   2.  One red signal-light and one amber signal-light on each side of the bus at the rear.

(2)  Subsection 175 (5) of the Act is amended by striking out “subsection (3), (3.1) or (4)” at the end and substituting “(3), (3.1), (4) or (4.1)”.

(3)  Subsection 175 (6) of the Act is amended by striking out the portion before clause (a) and substituting the following:

School bus driver, signals

(6)  Subject to subsection (9), every driver of a school bus that is not equipped with overhead amber signal-lights,

.     .     .     .     .

(4)  Section 175 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Same, buses equipped with overhead amber signal-lights

(6.1)  Subject to subsection (9), every driver of a school bus that is equipped with overhead amber signal-lights,

  (a)  who begins to slow down the school bus for the purpose of stopping on a highway to receive or discharge children or receive or discharge adults who have developmental disabilities, shall actuate the overhead amber signal-lights on the bus;

  (b)  as soon as the bus is stopped for a purpose set out in clause (a), shall actuate the overhead red signal lights and school bus stop arm; and

  (c)  while the bus is stopped for a purpose set out in clause (a) on a highway, shall continue to operate the overhead red signal-lights and stop arm until the passengers have been received or discharged and until all passengers having to cross the highway have completed the crossing.

(5)  Subsection 175 (7) of the Act is amended by adding “or (6.1)” at the end.

(6)  Subsection 175 (8) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:

School buses, restriction on use of signals

(8)  No person shall actuate the overhead signal-lights or the stop arm on a school bus on a highway under any circumstances other than those set out in subsections (6) and (6.1).

(7)  Subsection 175 (13) of the Act is amended by striking out “subsection (6) does” and substituting “subsections (6) and (6.1) do”.

(8)  Subsection 175 (15) of the Act is amended by adding the following clause:

(c.1) governing the use of equipment on or in vehicles referred to in clause (a), including requiring the use of any equipment and prescribing the standards and specifications of the equipment;

Commencement

2 This Act comes into force on September 1, 2022.

Short title

3 The short title of this Act is the Safer School Buses Act, 2021.