An another contract... Abbotsford, BC - TheNewswire - September 4, 2019 - Gatekeeper Systems Inc. ('Gatekeeper' or the 'Company') (TSXV:GSI) (OTC:GKPRF) (FSX:1GK), a leading provider of video surveillance systems developed to protect people while in transit, is pleased to announce it has received orders for approximately 100 Student ProtectorTM systems from school bus operators contracted by Niagara Student Transportation Services (NSTS). The Company also announces its support for Ontario's new legislation which permits video evidence from stop-arm cameras.
Gatekeeper estimates the value of the orders announced today to be approximately $250,000, which the Company believes is the largest deployment of stop-arm cameras announced in Ontario since the new legislation was introduced. Installation has already commenced and is expected to be completed by December 2019.
On June 4, 2019, the Ontario government passed the Getting Ontario Moving Act which includes provisions to protect school children by giving municipalities the tools they need to target drivers who threaten the safety of children crossing roads to their school or home.
"Last year school bus drivers identified on-the-bus and bus stop safety concerns as top priorities, and cameras will serve as a tool in the event of a concern or incident that needs to be investigated." said Lori Ziraldo, Executive Director of NSTS in a statement. NSTS manages student transportation services for school boards transporting over 32,000 students to 153 schools on 542 school buses.
The Ontario School Bus Association estimates that approximately 18,000 school buses travel two million kilometers in Ontario every school day.
Doug Dyment, CEO of Gatekeeper commented, "We applaud both the Ontario government and NSTS School Bus Contractors for taking measures to protect school children, and by addressing the serious concerns of vehicles illegally passing school buses while the stop-arm is out and the lights are flashing".
School bus safety is a growing concern due to the rise of vehicles illegally passing school buses while stopped. In the United States, The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services conducts an annual survey of stop-arm violations. During the 2018-19 school year, 130,963 school buses reported that 95,319 vehicles passed their buses illegally on a single day (nearly one per bus per school day on average) which points to more than 17 million school bus stop-arm violations per year in the United States alone. Several states and provinces have recently authorized the use of video and photo evidence for issuing citations as a method to deter this dangerous practice.