The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Increased Penalties for Passing School Buses)
Chamber
manitoba
Stage
Introduced
This Manitoba bill increases fines for drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus, with higher penalties for repeat offences.
Key Changes
- Creates a new tiered fine system specifically for passing a stopped school bus
- First offence: fine of up to $2,500
- Second offence: fine of up to $5,000
- Third or subsequent offence: fine of up to $7,500
- Takes effect immediately upon receiving royal assent
Gotchas
- The fines are listed as maximums ('not more than'), meaning courts have discretion to impose lower amounts
- The bill does not specify how prior offences are tracked or over what time period repeat offences are counted
- The bill does not address demerit points or licence suspensions, only fines
- No minimum fines are established, which could result in inconsistent penalties across cases
Who's Affected
- Drivers on Manitoba roads
- School children boarding or exiting school buses
- School bus drivers and operators
- Law enforcement officers who issue traffic violations
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The fines are listed as maximums ('not more than'), meaning courts have discretion to impose lower amounts
- The bill does not specify how prior offences are tracked or over what time period repeat offences are counted
- The bill does not address demerit points or licence suspensions, only fines
- No minimum fines are established, which could result in inconsistent penalties across cases
Summary
This bill changes Manitoba's Highway Traffic Act to set higher fines for drivers who pass a school bus that has stopped to let students get on or off. Currently, the law prohibits passing a stopped school bus, but this bill creates a tiered penalty system based on how many times someone has broken this rule. Under the new rules, a first offence carries a fine of up to $2,500, a second offence up to $5,000, and a third or further offence up to $7,500. These escalating fines are meant to discourage repeat violations and better protect children boarding or leaving school buses. The bill was introduced to strengthen child safety on Manitoba roads by making the consequences of illegally passing a school bus more serious, especially for drivers who have already been caught doing it before.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses