(625 ILCS 5/11-1424) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-1424)
Sec. 11-1424.
Operation of a religious organization bus.
(a) No religious organization bus may be operated on any street or highway
unless all passengers, except for supervisory personnel, are seated in
seats permanently mounted to the vehicle, and the aisle of the bus is
kept clean and open.
(b) No religious organization bus may be operated on any street or
highway while carrying more than the manufacturer's rated passenger capacity
for such bus, or at a gross weight in excess of the chassis manufacturer's
gross
vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross axle weight rating (GAWR), or in
excess of the weight load ratings of the tires on such bus. For buses
or tires on which the manufacturer has not shown such ratings, by a
label, embossment, molding or equivalent means, the Department shall
provide, or assist in obtaining, the necessary ratings and may publish
such ratings.
(c) In loading or unloading passengers, the religious organization
bus driver shall stop the bus out of the lane of moving traffic at any
bus stop, officially designated as such by government authorities or in
a parking lane on the pavement of the highway or on the shoulder off of
the highway, if wide enough to permit the safe loading or unloading of
passengers. If, however, there is no such bus stop, parking lane or
shoulder within 50 feet of the residence or temporary residence of the
passenger transported or to be transported by the bus or within 50 feet
of the religious facility, the driver may stop the bus on the pavement
of the highway after activating unison amber warning lights for not
less than 200 feet before the bus is brought to a stop and while
passengers are being loaded or unloaded, or if the bus is equipped as a
school bus and meets the requirements of Article VIII of this Act, by
complying with the subsections (b), (c) and (d) of Section 11-1414.
(d) At all pickup points where it is necessary for a religious
organization bus passenger under the age of 12 years to cross the
roadway to board the bus, a responsible supervisor on the bus shall
personally escort the awaiting passenger when it is safe to cross the
roadway ahead of the bus.
(e) At all discharge points where it is necessary for a religious
organization bus passenger under the age of 12 to cross the roadway, a
responsible supervisor on the bus shall personally escort the passenger
to a point approximately 10 feet in front of the bus on the shoulder and
then, when it is safe to cross the roadway, across the roadway to a
place of safety.
(f) If a school bus is used by a religious organization bus for the
purposes specified in subsection (a) of Section 1-111.1a and
activates
the visual signals as required by subsections (b), (c) and (d) of
Section 11-1414 when picking up or discharging passengers, compliance
with subsections (d) and (e) of this Section is optional.
(Source: P.A. 90-89, eff. 1-1-98.)
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