Pioneering bus stop technology, which alerts motorists to the presence of schoolchildren, is being trialled in Aberdeenshire.
The pilot scheme was launched last week, with a view to rolling the technology out across the northeast of Scotland.
The SeeMe system is a stand-alone, real-time warning unit, activated by a transponder placed in a child’s school bag. The unit is mounted above a bus stop, which automatically starts flashing its warning lights signalling the presence of a pupil.
The technology is used widely in Sweden, where it was developed, but this is the first time it has been used in the UK.
Councillor Peter Argyle said: ‘We need to test [the system] in Aberdeenshire to see if it meets our requirements. The trial is the precursor to wider pilots and I look forward to learning about the results from our trials and those of Moray Council and Aberdeen City Council, to see if it has potential for the whole of the northeast.’
The system will be trialled at various locations, with surveys being undertaken to test the effectiveness of the technology in terms of speed reduction. Other means of evaluation are also being considered.
Scottish transport minister, Stewart Stevenson, has supported the scheme and results from the northeast trial are likely to influence the potential roll-out of it elsewhere in Scotland and the UK.
Aberdeenshire Council is examining a range of other measures with the Scottish Government to improve school transport safety. These include increasing the visibility of schoolchildren and school transport vehicles, new education resources, and advanced warning systems which urge drivers to exercise extreme caution.
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