After seeing a rise in traffic collisions involving buses in recent months, San Bernardino police and the city's bus drivers are teaming up for special bus patrols in order to crack down on traffic violators.
In a news release from the San Bernardino Police Department, officers noted that there has been an "increase in traffic collisions" where OmniTrans buses "were struck by other motorist who commit various traffic violations." They said that the violations include unsafe turning movements, driving in designated bus lanes and failing to stop for red signals.
The new collaborative effort featured police officers riding on designated OmniTrans buses and recording violations that they observe drivers committing, the release said. It lasted from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"The drivers, they're the ones that see those accidents firsthand," said Dave Stevenson, the Environmental Health and Safety Manager for OmniTrans. "The best thing we could do is put them right there at the front so they can see it themselves."
Then, the officers will radio the license plate of the alleged traffic violators to patrol officers working in the area.
"A lot of it is cars crossing over the double yellow, crossing in front of the buses, as well as texting and driving," said Officer Caila Baltas.
The program aims to bring awareness to drivers on San Bernardino's busy E Street corridor to make sure they aren't putting themselves or other drivers in danger, said SBPD Cpl. Araceli Mata.
"The larger message is always gonna be safety," Mata said. "It's between safety that we want to put out there for the police department and safety for the OmniTrans bus drivers and the passengers on the OmniTrans buses, too."
The first half of Wednesday's operation resulted in more than two dozen citations, police said.
Stevenson said that on top of the violations, they're working to mitigate the number of collisions involving their buses.
"A lot of people misunderstand the use of our dedicated lanes for our bus transit system," Stevenson said. "Unfortunately, we have collisions, we have accidents, we have those traffic violations on our system that are leading to a risky situation."
The operation, which is the second collaboration between the two agencies since the start of the new year, could lead to more partnerships in the future, the release said. On January 23, when the first collaborative effort was conducted, 47 citations were issued and one person was arrested for DUI.
"Operating safely across the sbX Green Line corridor requires teamwork," said OmniTrans CEO and General Manager Erin Rogers in a statement. "We look forward to continuing, impactful collaboration with the San Bernardino Police Department and the City of San Bernardino to reduce traffic incidents and help ensure safe streets for our community."