Olds RCMP are encouraging everyone to be patient for the next couple of weeks as higher traffic volumes on local roadways will be generated with students going back to school.
Tuesday, September 3rd is the first day back for the schools in the Town of Olds as well as at Olds College.
Constable Mitch Price with the Olds RCMP points out that back to school doesn’t actually really change our school zones much because when we went from school zones to playground zones we implemented that 7:30am until 9pm standard speed limit of 30 kilometers and hour – and that will remain. He says “I think just remembering that it’s a fun, exciting time of year. It’s also a stressful time of year with everyone returning to school. If you are in those areas, you are driving in those areas just be patient, be cautious and let’s get through this first month back to school safely.”
Constable Price explains what is required of motorists when it comes to school buses. Price says “the biggest thing with school buses is when their stop sign is out and they are lights are illuminated, it’s imperative that you stop. Whether you are coming at that school bus or from behind that school bus, you have to come to a complete stop and allow those students exiting the bus to cross roads where necessary and then once those lights have gone off, you can resume traffic.”
Passing a school bus with its stop sign out and lights illuminated is a $567 dollar penalty and it carries a six demerit hit on your licence.
Price notes Olds RCMP will certainly be working with their partners in Olds Bylaw and they will be in those school zones pretty heavy as kids get back to school and just making sure that everyone is abiding by the rules set out.