Members of law enforcement will ride on school buses beginning Monday to cite motorists who fail to stop when buses are loading and unloading children.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the Wichita, Maize and Haysville Police Departments on a project to crack down on violations around school buses. The enforcement is part of this week's National School Bus Safety week.
Participating school districts included Derby, Haysville, Maize and Wichita.
For the rest of the week, officers and deputies will ride on buses to watch for violators. They will contact officers patrolling the area. Motorists will be given a ticket, not a warning.
In Sedgwick County, the fine and court costs for a school bus violation is $425.
First Student partners with the Wichita Public School District to provide bus transportation to more than 16,000 children daily.
Renee Deschenes, a bus driver for First Student, said a one-day study conducted by bus drivers for the Wichita district recorded around 500 violations. She said school bus violations are a problem country-wide.
Lt. Tim Myers, with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office, says many people are distracted while driving.
“Be remindful of those stop arms because children are getting on and off the buses and that’s the top priority: the safety of the children,” Myers said.
Suzette Sponsel is an intern in the KMUW News Lab.