NY Senate passes measure to require GPS on charter buses

The New York Senate on Wednesday passed several transportation bills intended to make roadways safer, including a measure requiring commercial GPS devices on charter buses.

News 12 Staff

May 16, 2019, 2:27 AM

Updated 2,017 days ago

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The New York Senate on Wednesday passed several transportation bills intended to make roadways safer, including a measure requiring commercial GPS devices on charter buses.
More than 40 students and adults were injured in a crash last April on the Southern State Parkway when their charter bus slammed into an overpass. Police said the driver was using a GPS made for passenger vehicles and not designed to alert commercial vehicles, like buses, about overpasses.
"There are real tragedies here," says state Sen. James Gaughran. He says the commercial GPS requirement on buses is a critical safety measure.
The commercial GPS bill will soon be voted on in the state Assembly.
The state Senate also passed a bill allowing school districts to install video cameras on the stop arms that extend when a school bus stops to pick up or drop off students. Drivers caught illegally passing stopped school buses would face fines starting at $250.
The school bus camera bill also passed in the Assembly. It now heads to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who's expected to sign it into law.
News 12 is told that cameras could be installed on buses in some school districts by September.