Smile! Transport Canada is mandating cameras on school buses, including in Guelph and Wellington County.
But it's not the photo radar cameras meant to catch drivers illegally passing buses.
Transport Canada says “perimeter visibility systems” will be installed on all new school buses across the country built after Nov. 1, 2027.
The visibility systems, a “series of cameras” installed outside the bus, will show if there is anyone around the bus before taking off. Drivers will have a device mounted on the dash, which will display the real-time images.
“This technology offers enhanced visibility beyond what mirrors alone can provide,” Transport Canada said in a news release.
“With this new regulation, Canada becomes the first country in the world to require new school buses to be fitted with this technology.”
But the announcement came with concerns from the head of the local transportation consortium.
“We’re definitely supportive of anything that helps student transportation safety, but it was a surprise that the announcement was made,” said David Frier, the CAO of Wellington-Dufferin Student Transportation Services (STWDSTS).
“We haven’t had any advanced warning it was coming.”
Frier said a lack of funding with the Transport Canada announcement could be a stumbling block in moving this mandate forward.
Frier said he doesn’t know anything about pricing at this stage, as it’s unknown how much the equipment will cost. He hopes the federal government chips in with some sort of funding for a federal move that impacts an education file run by the province.
He noted the STWDSTS has about 500 vehicles on the road.
School bus photo radar was also part of the Transport Canada announcement.
It introduced requirements necessary to install “infraction cameras” for manufacturers who want to install them voluntarily.
The federal agency stopped short of mandating the cameras, being used to capture photos of licence plates of vehicles passing a school bus illegally.
Will the STWDSTS be looking at those cameras in the future?
“My main issue with them is that it doesn’t stop the thing from happening. It’s a reaction to something that’s happened, you send them the video after something has happened,” he said.
“It is a deterrent, but an after-the-fact deterrent where something could’ve happened already.”
In 2023, the Upper Grand District School Board wrote to the province to implement stop-arm camera technology on buses.
Those would take photos of licence plates on vehicles passing by stopped school buses with the lights flashing and stop-arm out.
Drivers can be fined between $400 and $2,000 and receive six demerit points for a first offense in Ontario.
“School buses are a safe and efficient way to transport students to and from school, and any measures to increase school bus safety is welcomed by the board,” Upper Grand District School Board spokesperson Heather Loney said in an emailed statement.
“The UGDSB is looking forward to learning more about (Monday)’s announcement from Transport Canada. As this is still in its early stages, we don’t have details at this point about cost and implementation, but we will continue to work closely with our transportation partners as this rolls out.”
A Wellington Catholic District School Board spokesperson deferred all comments to the STWDSTS.
Guelph police say three drivers have been charged with failing to stop for a school bus this year.
Police add 28 such charges were laid all of 2024, up slightly from the 26 a year prior.