The by-law prohibits any parking, standing, or stopping within 30 metres and 15 metres of the crosswalk. The No Parking area stretches on one side almost to Union Street, and past the school bus driving lane on the other.
SSMS Principal Alan Dunfield tells Tide News the new by-law was not put in place due to complaints at the school or any specific incident.
Dunfield says he is not sure where it came from other than the basic rules and regulations from DOT and the Safety Board. He says, "I didn't even know about it until October." He says he was first informed the by-law would be implemented in an email he recieved from the Town of St. Stephen on October 5th, 2012.
Today Sgt. Bob MacKnight from District 1 RCMP and Citizens On Patrol were on site at the St. Stephen Middle School, passing out pamphlets and creating awareness for drivers of the new by-law.
Dunfield tells us, for the most part, the response has been great from parents. He says parents are typically good when it comes to honoring the crosswalk. Dunfield adds, in over ten years of standing outside watching the morning rush, he has never had a safety issue.
The RCMP will continue with the public education for the next 2 weeks, at which point non-compliant drivers could earn themselves a ticket.
