City of Regina not in favour of lifting stop arm ban

While some are calling for the City of Regina to overturn the ban on the use of stop sign arms and flashing lights on school buses, others say the equipment is not so safe.

“(They) do not guarantee pedestrian safety, especially in congested areas,” said Norman Kyle, the city’s director of roadways and transportation.

The city has a few reasons for the ban. The first is to discourage jaywalking, the second is kids might become reliant on the stop arms instead of crosswalks and the third is a concern that drivers just might not be able to see the signs.

Other major cities prohibit the signs including Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton.

Kyle said it’s about promoting safe habits.

“Drivers don’t expect to see pedestrians crossing in the middle of the road or running across,” he said.

“Pedestrians have the right-of-way at intersections so the expectation of drivers is, if they see somebody crossing, they would be at an intersection, not mid-block or jaywalking.”

Shawn Morrison of Regina has created a petition to force a referendum to reverse the ban.

Morrison said the four-way hazard lights bus drivers use currently and instead of the arm are confusing to drivers and believes stop arms would be safer.

Kyle said it’s up to drivers to know the rules of the road, no matter what jurisdiction they find themselves in.

He said the stop arm features were typically meant to be used in rural areas.

“Where there’s typically no sidewalks, no shoulders, no crosswalks or dropping kids off at farms, there is a perceived benefit,” he said.

The petition had more than 300 signatures as of Monday.

To trigger a referendum, the petition must be signed by as many eligible voters as 10 per cent of the city’s population — 21,500.