RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond drivers face a $250 fine if they are caught illegally passing a stopped bus. This year, all Richmond school buses will be equipped with cameras to record drivers who break that law.
“The Richmond Police Department is happy to assist the school with this program to help catch violators, and most of all keep our children safe while they are headed to and from school,” Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham said in a statement. ”
Drivers, caught on camera passing a stopped school bus with its lights flashing and the cross-arm out, will receive a $250 Notice of Violation in the mail, a police department spokesperson said. Those letter will only go out after the photographs are reviewed and approved by a police officer.
“We appreciate the continued support from the Richmond Police Department as they work to identify violators that compromise the safety of our students by illegally passing our school buses,” Interim Richmond Schools Superintendent Tommy Kranz said.
The cameras will record video and images of cars passing buses while the buses are stopped.
Putting cameras on buses does not cost Richmond Public Schools anything. According to a representative for Force Multiplier Solutions, who installed the cameras, the company pays to equip the buses for free, but is compensated with some of the penalty money.
None of the money collected from the tickets goes to the police department, a department spokesperson said.
Students return to Richmond Public School on Tuesday, September 5.