Chesapeake (Va.) Public Schools has partnered with BusPatrol to equip two of its electric school buses with safety technology, including stop-arm cameras.

As School Bus Fleet previously reported, the school district added two new electric buses to its fleet as part of a sustainability initiative with Virginia-based power company Dominion Energy. The electric vehicles will reportedly be the first to be equipped with BusPatrol’s suite of safety technology, according to a news release from the company.

Last year, Chesapeake Public Schools partnered with BusPatrol to implement a program designed to improve student safety and deter drivers from illegally passing stopped school buses. As part of the program, all 583 of the district’s buses were equipped with technology from BusPatrol and its technology partner Zonar at no cost.

Now, the technology, which includes stop-arm cameras, 4G LTE connectivity, DVR and storage devices, cloud-managed 360-degree safety cameras, and GPS and telemetry, will be added to Chesapeake's two electric buses.

“We have been very pleased with our partnership with BusPatrol and the added layer of safety the stop-arm camera program provides to our students," said Dr. David Benson, director of student transportation for Chesapeake Public Schools. "With the increased focus on our electric buses, having stop-arm cameras installed on them will hopefully bring even more attention to the importance of stopping for a school bus when the stop arm is activated.”

Speaking about the BusPatrol-equipped electric buses, Jean Souliere, CEO and founder of BusPatrol, said that the partnership with Chesapeake Public Schools is a “big company milestone.” 

“Our AI-powered safety technology works exactly the same on electric buses as diesel,” Souliere added. “Tools such as the panic alarm, live-streaming, and 360-degree cameras are now active even when the bus is off. We look forward to outfitting more energy-efficient electric buses with our advanced safety tech over the next few months, as we work toward a safer and more sustainable future.”