Big Brother unveils new surveillance/ticketing program: Oufitting buses with external cameras

Virginia -Two Albemarle County school buses equipped with external cameras in a pilot program revealed nearly 80 vehicles over a 30-day period illegally passing stopped buses. Although school staff says expanding the program to all of its buses would enhance the safety of students at bus stops, some School Board members at its meeting Thursday voiced privacy and financial concerns.

Since January, staff has run the pilot program, said William Deane, assistant director of planning and technology for county schools. They are fitted with cameras supplied by Australia-based Redflex Holdings. The data revealed 79 violations in one month along U.S. 29 north of Charlottesville, Hydraulic Road and West Rio Road.

“Forty-one drivers, which is about a quarter of our staff, reported at least one violation per week,” Deane said. “There are at least 6,000 violations that occur per year in the county.”

Deane said, without cameras, school bus drivers are relegated to note passing vehicles’ make, model and license plates, distracting drivers from students’ safety.

“We see the need to have another enforcement mechanism to keep our students safe,” he said.

If implemented, the surveillance equipment would send data to a Redflex operating center, where staff would review the material, trim it to reveal only identifying characteristics of the passing vehicle, and then send the information to county, Deane said. Police would then issue a ticket and fine to the owner of the identified vehicle.

The added benefit of the school bus surveillance program, Deane said, is that system is installed at no cost to the county and the locality receives approximately one-third of the fine charged to recorded offenders.

Prince George County Public Schools was the first division in the state to adopt a bus surveillance program with Redflex, Deane said. Charlottesville City Public Schools is currently pursuing a pilot test with the program this month.
http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/albemarle-school-board-discusses-external-school-bus-cameras/article_64735020-b91a-11e2-8ee5-0019bb30f31a.html
http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/anger-fines-follow-school-bus-passings/article_3f4598aa-d7fb-5577-ba35-eb4f0c4afe39.html