331.45 SAFETY STANDARDS FOR BUSES TRANSPORTING SCHOOL CHILDREN.
(a) The Police Department shall inspect every City bus, under contract with the Youngstown Board of Education to transport school children, to ascertain whether its construction, design and equipment comply with the regulations adopted by the Ohio Department of Highway Safety.
The Chief of Police shall adopt a distinctive inspection decal not less than twelve inches in size, and bearing the date of the inspection, which shall be affixed to the outside surface of each side of each bus which upon such inspection is found to comply with the regulations adopted by the Ohio Department of Highway Safety. The appearance of the decal shall be changed from year to year as to shape and color in order to provide easy visual inspection.
No person shall operate, nor shall any person being the owner thereof or having supervisory responsibility therefor, permit the operation of a bus under contract with the Youngstown Board of Education to transport school children within this City unless there is displayed thereon the decals issued by the Police Department bearing a date of inspection prior to the fifteenth day of October, in the calendar year in which the decals were issued, except for a bus purchased prior to the fifteenth day of October which must bear an inspection decal prior to the date of its use for the transportation of passengers.
(b) All buses under existing contract to transport school children in the City shall have the same flashing lights installed as required by State law on all school buses.
(c) No person shall operate a bus under contract with the Youngstown Board of Education to transport school children in the City which passenger capacity exceeds ten percent (10%) of the minimum seating capacity on such bus.
(d) For the purpose of this section, the following definitions are applicable: "Bus" means every motor vehicle designed for carrying more than nine passengers and used for the transportation of persons, and that is under contract with the Youngstown Board of Education to transport school children, and every school bus, mass transit bus and every motor vehicle, automobile for hire or funeral car, other than a taxicab, designed and used for transportation of persons for compensation.
(Ord. 88768. Passed 12-11-74.)
(e) Whoever violates any provision of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; on a second offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree; on each subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.