role="main" class="main-container container js-quickedit-main-content" id="main-content">

Bill 246, Safer School Buses Act, 2021

Harris, Mike

Royal Assent received. Statutes of Ontario 2021,

chapter 13

Please select

View bill

Status

Debates

Acts affected

Royal Assent

As Amended by Standing Committee

Original

Bill 246 Royal Assent (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

This Explanatory Note was written as a

reader’s aid to Bill 246 and does not form part of the law.

Bill 246 has been enacted as

Chapter 13 of the Statutes of Ontario, 2021.

The

Highway Traffic Act is amended to require school

buses manufactured on or after January 1, 2005 to be equipped with four

overhead amber signal-lights and four overhead red signal-lights. Consequential

amendments are made to subsections 175 (1), (3.1) and (4) with respect to the

signs that must be displayed on school buses and to subsections 175 (6),

(8) and (9) with respect to the operation of signal-lights on school buses. The

amendments come into force on July 1, 2022.

Bill 246 2021

Act to amend the Highway Traffic Act

Her

Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the

Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

(1) The

definition of “school bus” in subsection 175 (1) of the Highway Traffic Act is repealed

and the following substituted:

“school

bus” means a bus that,

(

a) is

painted chrome yellow,

(

b) displays

on the front and rear thereof the words “school bus”, and

(

c) displays

on the rear thereof the words “do not pass when signals flashing” or “do not

pass when red lights flashing”. (“autobus scolaire”)

(2) Subsection

175 (3.1) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:

Same

(3.1) If

all or part of a bus operated under the authority of a permit issued under subsection

7 (7) is painted chrome yellow, the bus shall display,

(

a) on

its front and rear the words “school bus”; and

(

b) on

its rear,

(

i) the

words “do not pass when signals flashing”, if the school bus was manufactured

before January 1, 2005, or

(ii) the

words “do not pass when red lights flashing” if the school bus was manufactured

on or after January 1, 2005.

(3) Subsection

175 (4) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:

School

bus signs

(4) No

motor vehicle on a highway, other than a school bus, shall,

(

a) have

the words “school bus”, “do not pass when signals flashing” or “do not pass

when red lights flashing” displayed on the motor vehicle; or

(

b) be

equipped with a school bus stop arm.

(4) Section

175 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Overhead signal-lights

(4.1) Every

school bus registered in Ontario that is manufactured on or after January 1,

2005 shall be equipped with four overhead red signal-lights and four overhead

amber signal-lights mounted outside of the bus at or near the roof line in the

following configuration:

1. One

red signal-light and one amber signal-light on each side of the bus at the

front.

2. One

red signal-light and one amber signal-light on each side of the bus at the

rear.

(5) Subsection

175 (5) of the Act is amended by striking out “subsection (3), (3.1) or (4)” at

the end and substituting “(3), (3.1), (4) or (4.1)”.

(6) Subsection

175 (6) of the Act is amended by striking out “red” wherever it appears.

(7) Subsection

175 (8) of the Act is amended by striking out “red”.

(8) Subsection

175 (9) of the Act is amended by striking out “red” in the portion before

clause (a).

(9) Subsection

175 (15) of the Act is amended by adding the following clause:

(c.1) governing

the use of equipment on or in vehicles referred to in clause (a), including

requiring the use of any equipment and prescribing the standards and

specifications of the equipment;

Commencement

This Act comes into force on July 1, 2022.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Safer School Buses Act,

2021 .

Bill 246 As Amended by Standing Committee (PDF)

This

reprint of the Bill is marked to indicate the changes that were made in

Committee.

The

changes are indicated by underlines for

new text and a strikethrough for deleted text.

______________

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Highway Traffic Act is amended to require school

buses manufactured on or after January 1, 2005 to be equipped with four

overhead amber signal-lights and four overhead red signal-lights. The amendments require drivers of those

school buses to actuate the overhead amber signal-lights when beginning to slow

down for the purpose of stopping to receive or discharge children or adults

with developmental disabilities and to actuate the red signal-lights and school

bus stop arm as soon as the bus is stopped. Consequential amendments are also

made. Consequential amendments are made to subsections 175 (1),

(3.1) and (4) with respect to the signs that must be displayed on school buses

and to subsections 175 (6), (8) and (9) with respect to the operation of

signal-lights on school buses. The amendments come into force on July 1, 2022.

Bill 246 2021

Act to amend the Highway Traffic Act

Her

Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the

Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

(0.1) The definition of

“school bus” in subsection 175 (1) of the Highway Traffic Act is repealed and the following

substituted:

“school bus” means a bus that,

(

a) is painted chrome yellow,

(

b) displays on the front and rear thereof the words “school

bus”, and

(

c) displays on the rear thereof the words “do not pass when

signals flashing” or “do not pass when red lights flashing”. (“autobus

scolaire”)

(0.2) Subsection 175 (3.1) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:

Same

(3.1) If all or part of a bus

operated under the authority of a permit issued under subsection 7 (7) is

painted chrome yellow, the bus shall display,

(

a) on its front and rear the words “school bus”; and

(

b) on its rear,

(

i) the words “do not pass

when signals flashing”, if the school bus was manufactured before January 1,

2005, or

(ii) the words “do not pass

when red lights flashing” if the school bus was manufactured on or after

January 1, 2005.

(0.3) Subsection 175 (4) of

the Act is repealed and the following substituted:

School bus signs

(4) No motor vehicle on a

highway, other than a school bus, shall,

(

a) have the words “school bus”, “do not pass when signals

flashing” or “do not pass when red lights flashing” displayed on the motor

vehicle; or

(

b) be equipped with a school bus stop arm.

(1) Section

175 of the Highway Traffic Act

is amended by adding the following subsection:

Overhead signal-lights

(4.1) Every

school bus registered in Ontario that is manufactured on or after January 1,

2005 shall be equipped with four overhead red signal-lights and four overhead

amber signal-lights mounted outside of the bus at or near the roof line in the

following configuration:

1. One

red signal-light and one amber signal-light on each side of the bus at the

front.

2. One

red signal-light and one amber signal-light on each side of the bus at the

rear.

(2) Subsection

175 (5) of the Act is amended by striking out “subsection (3), (3.1) or (4)” at

the end and substituting “(3), (3.1), (4) or (4.1)”.

(3) Subsection 175 (6) of the

Act is amended by striking out the portion before clause (

a) and substituting

the following:

School

bus driver, signals

(6) Subject to subsection

(9), every driver of a school bus that is not equipped with overhead amber

signal-lights,

. . . . .

(3) Subsection 175 (6) of the Act is amended by

striking out “red” whereve r it appears.

(4) Section 175 of the Act is

amended by adding the following subsection:

Same,

buses equipped with overhead amber signal-lights

(6.1) Subject to subsection

(9), every driver of a school bus that is equipped with overhead amber

signal-lights,

(

a) who begins to slow down the

school bus for the purpose of stopping on a highway to receive or discharge

children or receive or discharge adults who have developmental disabilities,

shall actuate the overhead amber signal-lights on the bus;

(

b) as soon as the bus is stopped for

a purpose set out in clause (a), shall actuate the overhead red signal lights

and school bus stop arm; and

(

c) while the bus is stopped for a

purpose set out in clause (

a) on a highway, shall continue to operate the

overhead red signal-lights and stop arm until the passengers have been received

or discharged and until all passengers having to cross the highway have

completed the crossing.

(5) Subsection 175 (7) of the

Act is amended by adding “or (6.1)” at the end.

(6) Subsection 175 (8) of the

Act is repealed and the following substituted:

School

buses, restriction on use of signals

(8) No person shall actuate

the overhead signal-lights or the stop arm on a school bus on a highway under

any circumstances other than those set out in subsections (6) and (6.1).

(6) Subsection 175 (8) of the

Act is amended by striking out “red”.

(6.1) Subsection 175 (9) of

the Act is amended by striking out “red” in the portion before clause (a).

(7) Subsection 175 (13) of

the Act is amended by striking out “subsection (6) does” and substituting

“subsections (6) and (6.1) do”.

(8) Subsection

175 (15) of the Act is amended by adding the following clause:

(c.1) governing

the use of equipment on or in vehicles referred to in clause (a), including

requiring the use of any equipment and prescribing the standards and

specifications of the equipment;

Commencement

This Act comes into force on September

1 July 1 , 2022.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Safer

School Buses Act, 2021 .

Bill 246 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Highway Traffic Act is amended to require school

buses manufactured on or after January 1, 2005 to be equipped with four

overhead amber signal-lights and four overhead red signal-lights. The

amendments require drivers of those school buses to actuate the overhead amber

signal-lights when beginning to slow down for the purpose of stopping to

receive or discharge children or adults with developmental disabilities and to

actuate the red signal-lights and school bus stop arm as soon as the bus is

stopped. Consequential amendments are also made.

Bill 246 2021

Act to amend the Highway Traffic Act

Her

Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the

Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

(1) Section 175 of the Highway Traffic Act

is amended by adding the following subsection:

Overhead signal-lights

(4.1) Every

school bus registered in Ontario that is manufactured on or after January 1,

2005 shall be equipped with four overhead red signal-lights and four overhead

amber signal-lights mounted outside of the bus at or near the roof line in the

following configuration:

1. One

red signal-light and one amber signal-light on each side of the bus at the

front.

2. One

red signal-light and one amber signal-light on each side of the bus at the

rear.

(2) Subsection

175 (5) of the Act is amended by striking out “subsection (3), (3.1) or (4)” at

the end and substituting “(3), (3.1), (4) or (4.1)”.

(3) Subsection

175 (6) of the Act is amended by striking out the portion before clause (

a) and

substituting the following:

School bus driver, signals

(6) Subject

to subsection (9), every driver of a school bus that is not equipped with

overhead amber signal-lights,

. . . .

(4) Section

175 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Same, buses equipped with overhead amber

signal-lights

(6.1) Subject

to subsection (9), every driver of a school bus that is equipped with overhead

amber signal-lights,

(

a) who

begins to slow down the school bus for the purpose of stopping on a highway to

receive or discharge children or receive or discharge adults who have

developmental disabilities, shall actuate the overhead amber signal-lights on

the bus;

(

b) as

soon as the bus is stopped for a purpose set out in clause (a), shall actuate the

overhead red signal lights and school bus stop arm; and

(

c) while

the bus is stopped for a purpose set out in clause (

a) on a highway, shall

continue to operate the overhead red signal-lights and stop arm until the

passengers have been received or discharged and until all passengers having to

cross the highway have completed the crossing.

(5) Subsection

175 (7) of the Act is amended by adding “or (6.1)” at the end.

(6) Subsection

175 (8) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:

School buses, restriction on use of signals

(8) No

person shall actuate the overhead signal-lights or the stop arm on a school bus

on a highway under any circumstances other than those set out in subsections

(6) and (6.1).

(7) Subsection

175 (13) of the Act is amended by striking out “subsection (6) does” and

substituting “subsections (6) and (6.1) do”.

(8) Subsection

175 (15) of the Act is amended by adding the following clause:

(c.1) governing

the use of equipment on or in vehicles referred to in clause (a), including

requiring the use of any equipment and prescribing the standards and

specifications of the equipment;

Commencement

This Act comes into force on September 1, 2022.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Safer School Buses Act,

2021 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

May 12, 2021

Royal Assent

Royal Assent received

May 6, 2021

Third Reading

Vote

Carried

May 6, 2021

Third Reading

Debated

March 31, 2021

Second Reading

Ordered for Third Reading

March 31, 2021

Second Reading

Reported as amended

March 31, 2021

Second Reading

Consideration of a Bill

Standing Committee on Justice Policy

March 26, 2021

Second Reading

Consideration of a Bill

Standing Committee on Justice Policy

March 3, 2021

Second Reading

Ordered referred to Standing Committee

Standing Committee on Justice Policy

March 3, 2021

Second Reading

Vote

Carried

March 3, 2021

Second Reading

Debated

February 16, 2021

First Reading

Vote

Carried

Debates and Progress

First Reading

February 16, 2021

Committee

Second Reading

March 3, 2021

Mr. Mike Harris, Mr. Tom Rakocevic, Mr. Stephen Blais, Hon. Jill Dunlop, Ms. Marit Stiles, Mr. Will Bouma, Hon. Stephen Lecce

Declared carried. Referred to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy.

Committee

Standing Committee on Justice Policy

March 26, 2021

March 31, 2021

March 31, 2021

Reported to the House as amended. Ordered for third reading

Third Reading

May 6, 2021

Mr. Mike Harris, Ms. Marit Stiles, Mr. Vijay Thanigasalam, Mr. Dave Smith

Declared carried.

Royal Assent

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Acts affected - Bill 246

Most Ontario public acts are available electronically; to view copies of the Acts to be amended by this bill visit e-laws

Highway Traffic Act

Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Was this page helpful? Yes , I found this page helpful. An optional survey will open in a new tab. No , I didn’t find this page helpful. An optional survey will open in a new tab.

Back to top