Changes made to Albany bus stop where girl was almost struck

Changes are being made to a school bus route in Albany, P.E.I., where a six-year-old girl was almost hit by a car while she was crossing the Trans-Canada Highway.

On Oct. 23, a white Jeep failed to stop for the flashing lights and swerved just before hitting the girl, according to the the bus driver and girl's mother.

Bus driver Ralph Coughlin urged the province to make the stop safer. On Thursday, the Public Schools Branch (PSB) announced it was making changes that should take effect as early as next week.

"We determined there is enough time in the travelling day to pick children up on both sides of the road. So effectively the kids will be picked up on the strong side of the bus, the bus will travel up the highway, turn around, come down the other side and pick up on the side," said Dave Gillis, the PSB's leader of corporate services.

Gillis said the province's 14,000 school bus stops are constantly under review. He said the PSB considers safety as well as how much time kids spend on the bus.

"In this situation that was a pretty easy thing for us to implement."

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