CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Of all the wheels going round a closed construction site in North-West Cape Coral, John Majewski said a school bus should not be one of them.
“We were standing in my driveway when I see this yellow school bus drive through the barricade right here, kept going, zig-zags around another barricade, and then continued down the road,” said Majewski.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the School District of Lee County said the driver's actions, don’t go against any district policies.
See the full statement below:
There was no violation of District Policy. We are often notified or road closures but the volume and fluid nature of them in Cape Coral means we are not always able to take action before the road closes.
It should also be noted, that a school bus cannot simply be put in reverse and back up like you can in car. For a bus to back up we require a spotter to guide them in reverse and help with traffic control. Typically, a supervisor or safety team member is sent from the closest bus compound. So I refer back to my original statement, This particular section of road is closed to thru traffic but remains open to residents. Our bus driver was attempting to safely complete the route when he continued down the roadway. We have developed a detour for the driver to use until the road reopens.
On Tuesday, Majewski said he feels like it's a safety concern for everyone on this road and any children that could have been on the bus.
“It's pretty basic common sense if a sign says road closed it pretty much means some sort of danger…construction,” said Majewski.
He said for the next few weeks, he will have to drive his car through his front yard to get to work each day.
Majewski adds that the loud noise and construction crews don't bother him, he just wants everyone to be safe.
“When I was in law enforcement, safety was my main priority. Safety of drivers, safety of pedestrians, safety of school children,” said Majewski.
Don't worry John Majewski, when Fox 4's Cape Coral Community Correspondent Colton Chavez got a hold of the school district, a spokesperson said it's transportation department created an alternate route for bus drivers to take while the construction project moves forward.
