Bus camera company, PPS respond to judge’s criticism of ticketing system

PITTSBURGH — At a news conference touting the benefits of the new stop arm cameras mounted on Pittsburgh Public School buses, the district and a representative from the private company that installed and operates the cameras responded to concerns expressed by a local district judge during an 11 Investigates exclusive on Wednesday night.

District Judge Jim Motznik of Brookline said he was concerned about the private company using this as a money maker.

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He spoke with Channel 11 Chief Investigator Rick Earle.

Motznik: It seems to me like you know, the camera company, the company that put the camera on the buses is making out in the deal and it shouldn’t be a money maker.

Earle: That’s what it looks like? It looks like a money grab?

Motznik: It does.

At the news conference Thursday morning at the library at Brashear High School, a representative from BusPatrol and the administrators from the Pittsburgh Public School District showed videos of vehicles blowing past the stopped school bus with the stop arm out and the lights flashing.

In one case, a young girl was hit by a driver.

The student broke her arm.

While everyone agrees that the safety of the students is a top priority, there are still a lot of questions about the program.

Earle asked a representative from BusPatrol about the judge’s comments.

Earle: That magistrate also said that he felt like this was a money grab?

Jason Elan, BusPatrol: That’s certainly not the case at all. We actually privately fund the equipment that’s outfitted and installed on each of the school buses.”

Elan defended the camera system that his company installed on school buses across the country and more recently in school districts in the Pittsburgh area, including McKeesport, East Allegheny and Pittsburgh Public.

Elan explained that no tax dollars are used for the program that is funded entirely through the $300 fines collected from the citations.

Since the program began in our area six months ago, 11 Investigates has received dozens of complaints from drivers who say they were unfairly targeted.

Judge Motznik, who’s heard about 20 cases, said he believes the program is flawed.

“We find out a lot of times the buses aren’t putting the arm out in a timely manner, people don’t always have the right opportunity to stop or to see it,” said Motznik, who also indicated that he’s dismissed complaints because bus drivers had waved drivers past, even though the arm was still out.

Those drivers were still issued citations.

Earle also questioned the Pittsburgh Public Schools Chief Operating Officer, Mike McNamara.

Earle: What do you say to those people who are caught up in this?

McNamara: I mean our school police are reviewing hundreds and hundreds of these citations on a regular basis, there are times I’m sure, where they can’t see that somebody waived them through. There are mistakes that get made.

Elan said police review all of the videos before issuing citations.

Judge Motznik said he’s dismissed more than 90% of the cases that come before him.

Earle asked Pittsburgh School Board member Sylvia Wilson about the magistrate’s rulings.

Earle: You have innocent drivers that are getting caught up in that?  Is that okay?

Wilson: They are not innocent.

Earle: They are. They’ve been dismissed.

Wilson: Some of them have been dismissed.

Earle: 90% of the tickets were dismissed at Magistrate Motznik.

Wilson: Some of them are being dismissed erroneously in my opinion.

Earle: So you think the magistrate is overstepping his boundary?

Wilson: I think some of them are being dismissed erroneously in my opinion.

Judge Motznik told Earle he reviews all of the videos and evidence and then makes his decision.

On Wednesday night 11 Investigates also exposed some of the confusion drivers face when attempting to appeal the citations.

Many have told us they paid the $110 filing fee and won their case but have yet to see a refund.

BusPatrol is in the process of implementing changes to streamline the process.

Going forward, drivers who want to fight the citation won’t have to pay a filing fee and they will have a virtual hearing before a Penndot hearing officer.

If they want to appeal the hearing officer’s decision, they must go to the local magistrate and pay the filing fee.

If they win, they should get a refund.

If they lose, they are out the $300 for the citation and the filing fee.

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