WINONA, Minn. – The school bus company First Student, which holds the contract for Winona public schools, has outfitted all full-size buses with cameras to catch motorists who ignore red stop arms. This week five violations were recorded. In a sixth case a police officer observed a violation and wrote up the driver on the spot. In the other cases, tickets were mailed to registered owners of the vehicles.
Penalties can be stiff
If there aren’t students on the street entering or exiting the bus, it is a misdemeanor. If there are students on the street, it’s a gross misdemeanor. A gross misdemeanor can be punished by a year in jail and a $3,000 fine.
Stop means stop. Yes, that’s a camera you’re facing