Don’t Go Until The Green Light On!
In Shanghai, it is illegal to cross the road at red lights and unauthorised crossings even though this is often safer than the alternatives. Last year I was fined 10 RMB for jaywalking across Huai Hai Lu, but Shanghai Daily has reported the penalty can be as high as 50 RMB depending on your attitude to the traffic police.
There is now an anti-jaywalking campaign that is gathering momentum in Shanghai. Over the past few days, I have noticed an amazing sign outside Huangpi Nan Lu Metro Station telling me how to behave when I am crossing the road. Shanghai Daily has reported that the campaign seems to be working.
At 60 video monitored intersections this year, up to 98 percent of pedestrians and 92 percent of cyclists obeyed the traffic rules without police presence, said the city’s traffic authority.
Source: Shanghai Daily, 8th March 2006
I was astonished when I read this statistic. I thought they had got their sums wrong or they were talking about Tokyo. Anyway, wouldn’t it be great if the campaign was extended to reckless drivers and cyclists along the lines of:
Red Light On. Stop! Don’t Kill People Cross Road.
Links:
shanghaidaily.com