PASSING SCHOOL BUSES

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25609, 25 September 1948, Page 8

PASSING SCHOOL BUSES

COMPULSORY STOP OPPOSED

The North and South Island Motor Unions do not agree with the Road Safetv Council’s recommendation that motorists should stop for stationary school buses. The following joint resolutions were passed in Christchurch yesterday:— “More responsibility should be placed on the drivers of school buses. As they stop school buses to set down pupils they should give verbal warning that the children must wait until the bus moves off before crossing the road. This would have the effect of checking the child’s impulse at the psychological moment.” “A speed restriction of 10 miles an hour when any vehicle is passing all types of stationary passenger omnibuses could be instituted.” “All buses conveying children to and from school should have suitable signs displayed so that any motorist approaching such a bus would be lully on the alert. It should be an offence for school bus signs to be displayed on any vehicle on a public road when it is not actually engaged on the transport of children to or from school.” “Bus drill should be concentrated on to an exaggerated degree in all schools in the country.” The South Island Motor Union conference, attended by senior North Island Union officers, considered that the existing arrangements caused confusion. that children were given a false sense of security, and that a speedJimit would cover ’the position. Mr R. Wilson, a member of the Road Safety Council, said a committee of the council unanimously recommended a speed limit, but the full council favoured a compulsory stop for stationary school buses.