Thousands Of Drivers Ticketed For Passing School Buses In Buffalo

Now that we're just a little more than 1/2 way through the 2024-25 school year, kids all over the Empire State have wrapped up their mid-term exams, many schools have had their winter dances, and moved into the winter break. As students, facility, and administrators get ready to head into the second half of the school year, there are thousands of drivers in Buffalo who are trying to figure out how they will pay for the thousands of the fines they've been issued by the the city of Buffalo.

Back in November 2024, Buffalo had announced that more than 16,000 tickets were issued to drivers whose cars were photographed passing a stopped school bus. Buses that are used by the Buffalo Public School system have video cameras attached to them that monitor when a vehicle passes the bus when its stop lights are activated.

The program, that was initially announced in 2023 by the City of Buffalo, was aimed at stopping the recurring problem with people illegally driving around stopped school buses, which puts kids in danger when they are just trying to get home from class.

Now, after around 5 months, around 22,000 tickets have been issued to people by the City. These fines, which can cost you between $250 and $300 for each occurrence, has amassed quite a bit of money that is due to be paid to the city of Buffalo. Doing some quick math, it seems that these tickets will generate more than $5 million in fees for the city and its vendor Bus Patrol.

According to WGRZ-TV, the city of Buffalo isn't the only community who issues these fines. Jamestown, Niagara Falls, and North Tonawanda do this as well, and perhaps there are other communities who are thinking about following suit.