2 school buses passed illegally on Thursday, say RCMP

RCMP on P.E.I. are investigating two separate reports of school buses being passed illegally while they were dropping off students on Thursday afternoon.

One happened in Tignish, and the other in Kinkora.

The Tignish incident happened on Phillip Street at about 3:20 p.m. Police say the red lights on the bus were flashing.

Police say witnesses described the vehicle as a grey, older-style Pontiac Grand Prix, driven by a female. The car was travelling east.

The Kinkora incident happened on Route 225 at about 3:15 p.m., and again police say the bus had its red lights activated.

The vehicle was described as a blue hatchback, possibly a Nissan Versa with a Nova Scotia plate.

"The most important thing is the safety of the children. I can't stress enough that it's very dangerous behaviour when people do that," said RCMPSgt. Darrell Gill.

"Pay attention. There's kids crossing that road and we don't want to see anybody get hurt."

Failing to stop for a school bus when the red lights are flashing carries a penalty of a fine up to $5,000, a three-month licence suspension, and 12 demerit points on the licence.

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