By Bob Katzen

The Senate 14-25, rejected an amendment that would allow any city or town to install and operate live digital video school bus violation detection monitoring systems to enforce violations against the owner of a motor vehicle whose vehicle failed to stop for a school bus when required to do so by law. School buses with the monitoring system installed would post signage indicating the use of that system.

“At least 22 states have enacted stop-arm laws to catch and punish motorists who pass stopped school buses by allowing local jurisdictions to install cameras on the outside of the bus to record illegal passings,” said the amendment’s sponsor Sen. Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen). “This is a commonsense mechanism that would help to increase driver awareness, prevent injuries and save lives, and the use of cameras for this specific purpose has widespread voter support in Massachusetts.”

Opponents said that the transportation bill is focused on transportation projects and not general road safety. They said there are some safety provisions in the bill, but those provisions are focused on construction zones which make them related to the transportation bill. They noted the school bus camera idea was already considered by the Senate this past year and was rejected.