Deputies ramp up efforts to ticket drivers who pass school buses improperly

Deputies in Marion County have ramped up efforts to address drivers who improperly pass school buses with a new initiative.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office in partnership with the Ocala Police Department launched Operated "Bus-ted" February, So far, deputies and officers issued 61 tickets to drivers who failed to pass school buses properly.

The Florida Highway and Motor Vehicle Safety

except when there is a raised barrier such as a concrete divider or at least five feet of unpaved space separating the lanes of traffic.

In February,

for a school bus in Marion County raised safety concerns for parents in Marion County.

The new initiative has temporarily stopped after schools closed amid the COVID-19 outbreak. It will continue running once students return to school.