Ontario enacts bus yield law

Starting Jan. 2, motorists in the Canadian province of Ontario must give right-of-way to buses trying to merge into traffic, or face fines of $60 to $500. The new Yield-to-Bus Legislation, launched by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, is expected to help transit efficiency in the province. "This law will make it easier and faster for buses to merge back into traffic and will help keep transit on schedule," says Michael Roschlau, president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Association. Decals, featuring a picture of a bus within a yield triangle with a flashing left signal on, will be applied to the rear of public transit buses early in the new year, according to the Toronto Star. The law applies to all GO Transit and municipal bus services. The legislation, similar to laws already in place in the provinces of British Columbia and Quebec, says when a bus displaying the decal has activated its left turn signal, motorists in the adjacent lane must yield, as long as it's safe to do so.