$6.2 million in fines for passing stopped school buses

Lee County deputies issued more than 27,000 tickets to drivers who illegally passed school buses with their stop signs extended during the school year.

Each ticket costs $225, amounting to approximately $6.2 million in fines. That money is split between the Lee County School District and the company that operates the cameras installed on the buses.

The program also allowed deputies to pinpoint the areas with the most violations. The top four trouble spots include State Road 82 in Lehigh Acres, Hanson Street near Fowler in Fort Myers, Colonial Boulevard between Fowler and Metro Parkway, and Pondella Road in North Fort Myers near North Fort Myers High School and Tropic Isles Elementary School.

The cameras on the buses are intended to encourage drivers to slow down and stop, but they also capture instances of reckless driving.

The bus patrol program began in December, meaning all of the tickets and fines were generated in just the past six months.