Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) – A local group is asking the Buffalo Common Council to re-evaluate BusPatrol’s stop arm bus camera program.
Samuel Radford with Urban Think Tank says each violation for illegally passing a school bus is $250, which shows this isn’t about protecting children. He feels it’s about generating revenue in a city that’s already struggling financially.
According to Radford, the city has issued over 2,250 school bus violations within 10 days, generating $562,500.
“60% of that money goes to a for-profit company. If you go do a simple Google search on BusPatrol, you will see that this is a for profit company that just got three major new investors,” stated Radford in an interview with WBEN.
Radford says the fine disproportionately harms “Buffalo’s economically disadvantaged.”
“In a community where you’re already paying double what you were paying for rent, you paying extra high gas prices, extra high grocery prices, you’re already in third poorest city in the country. Now they get hit again with the $250 fine. That can be the difference between eating and not eating. A bill being paid and not being paid. If you don’t pay that ticket, it can lead to your registration being suspended. It can lead to your license being suspended. If the car gets towed, it can lead to your car being impounded,” stated Radford.