The new Yield to Bus legislation has been on the books – technically –
since NDP premier Bob Rae was in power. As part of its grudging shift
toward improving transit, the former Conservative government waited until
this year to have it proclaimed as law of the province. As of January 2,
2004, if a transit bus signals its intent to pull into the traffic lane,
you as a driver will be required to slow or stop and allow it in front of
you. The idea is to help transit vehicles keep to their schedule, and not
get trapped in bus bays waiting for someone to let them out. In Toronto,
many bus operators already count on other drivers to make way –
voluntarily or not.
It’s a relatively
minor revision to the Highway Traffic Act, but getting the word out will
require a driver reeducation blitz from Niagara Falls to Timmins. Less
than a month before the new rule kicks in, there has been little sign of
an expected public awareness campaign. By the time you read this, the
provincial ministry of transportation (MTO) and local transit agencies
will hopefully be broadcasting the message far and wide, and in your face.
If they don’t, some unsuspecting drivers may suddenly find a 40-foot bus
in their windshield. Getting drivers to change long-held habits can be
tough, especially since traffic laws are already some of the most ignored
rules in society. How the authorities handle this one will affect the way
future changes might be implemented – like banning left-lane hogging or
the use of cell phones.
As of last Friday, MTO
had not yet determined how much is to be spent on the education program.
Nor had it been decided how much to fine those who do not yield to a
transit vehicle – provided it is safe to stop or slow down. According to
the ministry’s Bob Nichols, enforcement will likely be gradual. “On
January 2nd, police will be in a position to start enforcing the law. Any
charge would be at the officer's discretion. We expect the early emphasis
to be on educating drivers and making them aware of the law.” Toronto
Police Sergeant Robb Knapper says officers will obviously not be handing
out tickets on the day the law takes effect. "Everyone has to be made
aware of it. You can't introduce legislation without at least letting
everybody know that it's there."
The TTC is the largest
transit authority in Ontario, and the conduct of its employees will be
crucial in making this new road rule stick. Senior project engineer Jim
Sinikas says buses have long had stickers thanking drivers for yielding –
voluntarily. Before January 2, large decals and advertisements are
supposed to be plastered across the rear ends of buses. He says, “The
legislation basically requires that motorists yield the right of way. It
doesn’t allow our operators to take the right of way, so they still have
to ensure that approaching vehicles... are able to stop before they
move out into traffic.”
Doug McDonald of
Vancouver’s bus system says the attitude of transit employees was crucial
in implementing a similar law in B.C. in the spring of 1999. As well,
there was “quite a bit of advertising", using funds from the provincially
owned insurance corporation – to head off collisions. He says most
motorists tend to obey the bus law in Vancouver, and the key wasn’t
enforcement but the attitudes of bus drivers toward their fellow road
users. “One, don't send them misleading or inconsistent messages as far as
the use of turn signals. And two, just because it's the law, it's just not
in our interest to bully. It became abundantly clear to us that if this
was going to be successful, we had to encourage willing participation by
the average motorist.”
Ed Drass, National
Post
Email the Traffic Guru
at edrass@nationalpost.com or fax him at
416-322-7016