ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Seventy-five mayors and city and county officials from around New York have written to state lawmakers to urge them to authorize cameras on school buses to catch drivers who pass illegally.
The legislative proposal would allow school districts to mount cameras on the stop arms of buses, which extend when buses stop to pick up or drop off students.
Drivers caught passing a stopped bus would face $250 fines, with municipalities and school districts splitting the money.
The state Assembly has already passed the legislation, but a Senate vote hasn’t been scheduled.
In the letter released Friday, the local officials cited state estimates that 50,000 motorists in the state illegally pass school buses daily.
The letter was signed by officials from New York City, Long Island, Syracuse, Westchester County, Buffalo and other communities.
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