NORTH BAY – A petition to get yellow flashing lights on all school buses is now before the provincial government.
Pierre Ranger is leading the campaign in honour of his late brother, Adam, who was killed back in the year 2000 while getting off a school bus in Mattawa.
"We've had way too many incidents recently. Five within four days less that two kilometres from where Adam died. It's just not acceptable," says Ranger, Let's Remember Adam Campaign.
Over 1000 signatures are now in the hands of Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli.
The petition calls on the provincial government to implement an eight lamp system for school busses.
"We remove four of the red lights on the roof of the school bus and replace them with amber, so you'll have two amber and read at the front and two amber and red at the back," explained Ranger.
The amber lights would come on before the red lights flash and the stop arm comes out, warning drivers behind the bus that it's about to stop.
Every other province except Ontario uses this system.
Fedeli, who has met with the Ranger family on several occasions, says he will do what he can to help the family's dream become a reality.
The petition is now being filed with the clerk to go on official record.
Fedeli says "as a Cabinet Minister, although I can't stand and read it in the legislature, I certainly can have someone else read our petition in the legislature… I'll also speak to our Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney."
"It's going to make school buses safer. It's going to deter people from running those lights and it's going to make things easier for people to understand so people know what to do when they approach a school bus," says Ranger.
Ranger is also fighting to get stop arm cameras on school buses as he strongly believes with these additions, the travel to and from school will be a lot safer for students.
