Illegal School Bus Passing Troubles Cheltenham Officials

CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —With over 5,400 violations issued by the Cheltenham Township Police Department for drivers passing school buses illegally, officials are wondering how they can strengthen the crackdown.

During a public safety meeting this week, officials discussed how to "put more teeth" into the program that was started in October 2023 with the full fleet of Cheltenham School District buses having been equipped with cameras for automated enforcement in a partnership between BusPatrol, the Cheltenham Township Police Department, and the school district.

Officials said that too many people are refusing to take the program seriously, according to a Facebook poster in a Cheltenam community chatroom who attended the meeting.

The poster said that Police Chief John Slavin is asking the state to bolster enforcement with one option considered to deregister vehicles since fines don't seem to be working in keeping students safe.

“Frankly, the number has been mindboggling," said Lt. Andy Snyder. “Our message is very simple. When you see a school bus with its red lights activated, STOP! Children’s lives are at stake.”

The BusPatrol program's goal is to protect the safety of children getting on and off the school buses, as well as educate drivers about school bus safety laws.

The investment per bus is around $6,000, said Ryan Monell of BusPatrol, but the investment is funded by the violations, not taken from the budgets of the school district or township.

The fine for first-time infractions is $300, which is currently set by statute.