'Terrifying' video shows close call as car uses bike lane to pass school bus

An Ottawa city councillor said he decided to share a hair-raising video of a vehicle passing the open door of a stopped school bus as a wake-up call to impatient drivers whose carelessness is putting lives at risk.

The video, captured Monday by an external security camera at a Scott Street business, shows the school bus coming to a stop at the corner of Tweedsmuir Avenue, across from Westboro station. Seconds after the door of the bus opens, an older-model sedan passes on its right in a clearly marked bike lane.

Moments after the car passes, children descend the steps and cross the bike lane to the sidewalk.

Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper posted the video on social mediaThursday.

"It's terrifying to see," Leiper said."Every impatient behaviour that you may feel is justified because you have to get somewhere on timecould have potentially horrifying impacts."

The Consortium de transport scolaire d'Ottawa (CTSO) confirmed the incident using its GPS records, and by contacting the driver's supervisor.

"It did happen. Nobody got hurt, but we need to think about the serious consequences this could have," CTSO director Patrick Pharand told CBC.

Pharand said the bus was carrying students from Saint-Francois-d'Assise, an elementary school with students from kindergarten to Grade 6, and stopped at Scott Street and Tweedsmuir Avenue at the time shown in the video.

Bus driver didn't report incident

Pharand said the driver noticed the car coming and prevented the kids from stepping into its path.

"He was quick enough to react and didn't let the kids off. Otherwise it could've been serious consequences," he said.

• Blasting past a stopped school bus? Smile, you may be on camera

While Pharand said such incidents are uncommon, he urged motorists to be more aware of school buses.

"Even once is once too many," he said."We've got to take the 30 seconds more and stop and be careful."

Pharand said the driver did not report the incident, and was unable to get the car's licence plate. He said there will be a note in the driver's record for failing to report an incident within 24 hours.

Ottawa police said there was no call for service on the date of the incident, but the traffic section is now aware of the video.

Drivers caught passing astopped school bus with its upper red lights flashing can be fined up to $2,000 and handed six demerit points. Subsequent offences can earn them up to another $4,000, six more demerit points and up to six months in jail.

According to Ontario's Highway Traffic Act, school buses stopped at controlled intersections must not activate their flashing lights. There is a traffic light at the intersection of Scott Street and Tweedsmuir Avenue.