School bus stop arms and signals are banned in Regina and Saskatoon, but are allowed in other communities. (CBC)

A city hall report says Regina should continue its ban on school bus safety lights and stop sign arms.

The report going to the public works committee today says the Traffic Bylaw which currently prohibits the use of such devices should not be changed.

Among the reasons the status quo is OK, city staff say, is that when the stop sign pops out and the lights go on, it could give children a false sense of security that all traffic will stop.

The fact is, some motorists do not stop when the equipment is activated, according to the Saskatchewan Safety Council.

There's also the practical problem of getting all lanes of traffic to stop on a wide street.

As an example, the city points to the situation that might arise if a school bus stopped at Imperial School on Broad Street, one of the city's widest and busiest streets.

Shutting down Broad in both directions for five minutes while children get on and off the bus would be difficult, the report says.

Instead, getting school kids to walk for a bit and cross at an intersection rather than mid-block is the best way to go, it says.

The report notes that Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatoon have similar bylaws prohibiting the use of school bus safety lights and stop sign arms.

However, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Prince George, Kamloops and Burnaby use the devices.