Lawmakers are seeking an amendment to city bus stop regulations that would grant school buses the same access to bus stops as public transport vehicles, citing a disparity between law and practice and to increase safety measures for students.
The partial revision to the Road Traffic Act proposed by Rep. So Byung-hoon and nine other lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Korea would allow school buses to use city bus stops to pick up and drop off students.
Under current law, only city buses are able to stop or park within 10 meters of a pole, sign or road indicating a city bus stop. School buses are legally classified as ordinary vehicles, not city buses, and barred from stopping at city bus stops.
The proposal points out that, regardless of the law, school buses have increasingly been using city bus stops to ensure that students can use a stop near their home or school.
The lawmakers added that this gap between the law and actual practice has caused confusion in the education sector, underscoring the need to revise the rules.
The amendment, if passed, would establish a legal definition for school buses and create an exception, allowing them to temporarily stop at bus stops for student boarding and drop-off.
The proposal adds that the change would strengthen traffic safety and protect students' right to education by supporting stable and accessible transportation to and from school.
shwang9@heraldcorp.com
