Regina man wants referendum to allow school bus stop signs

A Regina man is collecting signatures for a petition in hopes of forcing a referendum on whether school bus drivers should be allowed to use their stop sign arms.

The city has banned the signs so bus drivers turn on their four-way hazards instead.

Shawn Morrison finds that confusing, dangerous and thinks the signs would be safer.

“It won’t confuse drivers and it would let cars know that there are kids coming off and could be crossing the road,” Morrison said.

SGI’s website states that in communities that prohibit the flashing stop signs, drivers are allowed to pass the bus but should be careful.

“Cars are zooming past (the hazards) and not stopping and putting kids at risk,” Morrison said.

“What would be the greatest loss for a parent? It would be losing their child.”

The city’s website lists a few reasons why the flashing stop signs are banned.

They include discouraging jaywalking, instead of encouraging them to cross the street using crosswalks, school patrols, half signals and pedestrian corridors.

As well, it says children could build a “false confidence” that drivers will stop and that the signs might not be visible to motorists.

“The jaywalking, yeah, I can see. But the crosswalks, to me, what’s better than a big yellow bus with four blinking lights on the front, four blinking lights on the back and four on the stop sign,” Morrison said.

“If that creates false hope, what about those crosswalks with the flashing lights on it. Doesn’t that create false hope as well, that cars are going to stop.”

Morrison’s petition has garnered more than 300 signatures so far.