Smart mobility specialist Verra Mobility is providing Polk County Public Schools with 500 school buses equipped with safety camera technology to protect children on their commute to and from school.

The programme will implement a comprehensive school bus stop-arm safety programme for the county’s school district, including the city of Lakeland. One of the largest school districts in Florida – with more than 115,000 students and over 120 schools – the school bus stop-arm safety programme will become one of the largest in the state.

“Nothing is more important than the safety of our children,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “Everyone agrees that protecting our kids by enforcing the school bus stop arm law is the right thing to do. I am excited about this new technology that will help us keep kids safe.”

“Polk County is one of the fastest growing communities in the nation,” said Superintendent Frederick Heid. “More vehicles are on our roads than ever before. We are hopeful this innovative technology will help make our roadways less dangerous — particularly for our students. We must do everything possible to keep our children safe, and stop motorists from breaking the law.”

Passing a stopped school bus with its stop-arm extended is against the law. In 2023, the Florida Department of Education released a survey showing nearly 8,400 school buses were illegally passed in just one day.

Verra Mobility will work closely with the county to identify particular needs of the district and to implement the complex programme across the school bus fleet. The technology will work to identify any vehicle that illegally passes a stopped school bus, sending verified violators a citation for their unlawful behaviour.

“We are grateful to the county for entrusting us with this large-scale safety operation,” said Jon Baldwin, executive vice president of Government Solutions, Verra Mobility. “The safety of our children deserves a company with the experience and commitment that only Verra Mobility can bring. We will work diligently to ensure their safety programme receives the tailored attention and expedition that it needs.”