The New York City Council - File #: Int 1099-2018

• File #: Int 1099-2018
• Version: *
• Name: Requiring the placement of two-way radios, cellular phones and tracking devices on school buses.
• Type: Introduction
• Status: Committee
• File created: 9/12/2018
• In control: Committee on Education
• On agenda: 9/12/2018
• Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the placement of two-way radios, cellular phones and tracking devices on school buses
• Sponsors: Ben Kallos, Mark Treyger, Chaim M. Deutsch, Justin L. Brannan, Kalman Yeger , Daniel Dromm , Eric A. Ulrich

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
9/18/2018	*	City Council	Re-referred to Committee by Council
9/12/2018	*	City Council	Referred to Comm by Council
9/12/2018	*	City Council	Introduced by Council

Int. No. 1099

By Council Members Kallos, Treyger, Deutsch, Brannan, Yeger, Dromm and Ulrich

Title
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the placement of two-way radios, cellular phones and tracking devices on school buses
Body

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Legislative findings. Each day in New York City, more than 160,000 children travel to and from school on school buses or other motor vehicles that are operated pursuant to contracts with the New York City Department of Education or the New York City Department of Transportation. Based upon several hearings concerning school bus safety and the operation of school buses generally, the Council finds that the lack of real-time communication with certain of these vehicles while they are in the process of transporting children to and from school is a significant operational problem for the Departments of Education and Transportation, and a significant source of frustration to parents. Currently, no one can determine the location of a bus or other motor vehicle that lacks communication equipment. Therefore, when such vehicles are late, neither parents nor school administrators can determine why, or where they are located or when they might arrive at their destinations. The drivers of such vehicles, in turn, cannot communicate with anyone regarding conditions en route, if a pick-up or drop-off cannot occur as scheduled, or if the vehicle suffers a mechanical or other problem. Moreover, in the event of an emergency, such lack of communication could be life-threatening.
The Council finds that these problems could be solved if all school buses and other motor vehicles used to transport children to and from school pursuant to a contract with the Department of Education or the Department of Transportation were equipped with two-way radios or cell phones, as well as with a tracking system, such as a global positioning tracking ...