Why do N. Ireland school buses have flashing lights?

[ChrisPJ]

On a quick trip to Belfast recently I noticed that not only did all translink buses have a pair of yellow lights in the destinations screens that flashed when operating a school bus service, but also some coaches and minibuses did, I don’t recall seeing this anywhere else in the British isles.

Is there a particular reason for this? I’m wondering if somehow related to events during the troubles?

 

[Roilshead]

I have a feeling that these started to appear around 2011, when there was some amendment to lighting regulations to make them compulsory on school buses - although I can't be certain, and I'd stand correction. Transport matters are one of the areas devolved to the NI Executive/Assembly, so somebody thought that "US-style" lights alerting drivers to schoolchildren likely to be milling around would be a good idea - clearly it isn't an issue that has troubled anybody on the mainland (in fact, didn't those Bluebird yellow school buses that First played about with have the orange flashing lights removed because they weren't legal under English/Welsh legislation?).

Absolutely nothing to do with The Troubles - I think the Northern Ireland Office had bigger things to worry about back then than flashing lights.

 

[borage]

Yes – The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011:

These Regulations amend the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 (the principal Regulations) in order to introduce new requirements relating to the display of signs and lights on buses carrying children to and from school.

Regulation 4 substitutes regulation 17 of the principal Regulations so that the non-illuminated reflective sign is referred to as a standard sign as specified in Schedule 22, and inserts new regulations into the principal Regulations as follows—

(a)regulation 17A provides that from 1st September 2014 buses used to provide a school service must have an illuminable sign of a type shown in Part 1 or Part 2 of Schedule 22A, the type of illumination depending on the date the bus is first used.

(b)regulation 17B requires that buses, used to provide a school service, are fitted with warning lights specified in Schedule 22B.

(c)regulation 17C imposes a requirement on buses used to provide a school service with a seating capacity of 9-16 passengers to be fitted with a roof bar as specified in Schedule 22C, where it is not practicable to fit illuminable signs and warning lights.

(d)regulation 17D inserts new requirements regarding the operation of switches for illuminable signs and warning lights.

Fitting of illuminated signs, warning lights and roof bars is dealt with in Schedule 22D.

 

[ChrisPJ]

Thanks for the helpful replies, I guess where I was coming from, was did the flashing lights ever be intended to act as some sort of white flag to indicate kids on board so that the vehicles would be left alone. But it seems not, maybe there was some sort of road safety incident that triggered concerns about highlighting the probability of kids crossing the road near the bus?