Islanders concerned following 2nd school bus crash at Queens County intersection

Islanders are raising concerns about a Queens County intersection that has seen two collisions involving school buses in the span of just a few years.

MLA Peter Bevan-Baker said he has written to the province and the Public Schools Branch about improving safety at the intersection of Bannockburn and Kingston roads in the rural municipality of Kingston, P.E.I. 

"I almost couldn't believe it happened at exactly the same spot," said Bevan-Baker, who represents the area. 

"You rarely hear of collisions between school buses and cars, and here we have it exactly at the same intersection within a couple of years — almost identical incidents."

The intersection needs to be changed to ensure the most recent collision is "absolutely the last accident that ever happens with a school bus at that intersection," Bevan-Baker said. 

Accidents involving school buses

An SUV and a school bus carrying 19 children collided at the intersection of Bannockburn Road and Kingston Road in the rural municipality of Kingston, P.E.I. on Feb. 5. 

No one on board the school bus was injured, but the driver of the SUV suffered minor injuries. 

In 2021, an SUV and a school bus collided at the same intersection, injuring three children. 

"There's something wrong at that intersection. It needs to be changed," said Bevan-Baker. 

Changes to the intersection

The school bus collision in 2021 led to a review by the province's chief engineer, and changes were made to the intersection to make it safer. 

Trees were cut down to improve visibility and flashing red lights were placed around the stop sign. 

The province is "satisfied with the infrastructure" and grateful that no one was seriously injured in the Feb. 5 collision, officials with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said in an email statement.

Intersections similar to the one at Bannockburn and Kingston roads can be found all across the Island, said Cpl. Gavin Moore with the RCMP. 

"We encourage all Islanders to heighten their awareness any time they're around either a school or a school bus," Moore said. 

The accident remains under investigation, Moore said.