The Jaywalking menace!

The movement for safer roads launched by students seems to have gone to waste and we are back to our old lawbreaking ways. Whilst the authorities are conducting Traffic week with more fervour than usual raking in thousands of cases against errant vehicles, we see very few efforts being taken to dissuade jaywalking. People in the city are still jumping over dividers or walking nonchalantly across busy thoroughfares whilst talking on their cell phones. We have covered the issue umpteen numbers of times, but to little effect. We have even published pictures of goats using the foot over bridges built for pedestrians, while people continue to break the law and cross the road putting themselves and vehicles at risk.

Authorities can do several things to stem this highly irresponsible behaviour. The city needs thousands of volunteers to help the police manage, not just traffic, but pedestrians cross the streets where there are foot over bridges/underpasses. But these are few and far between. Zebra crossings need to be introduced and public awareness campaigns may help inform people. But as experience shows us, that mere awareness building campaigns do little to change age-old malpractices.

On the spot fines should be introduced at busy junctures. We may even borrow ideas from Kolkata city where more than 1,000 physical barriers have been set up—manned by volunteers. These barriers come down with a thump to physically stop people from crossing. Of course that alone isn't going to stop the most determined jaywalker, but it is a start, especially when there is coordination among traffic officers on duty. We can even have traffic police relieve pedestrians of their cell phones for a little while—to drive home the message that this behaviour is not going to be tolerated. At the end of the day, we have to start thinking outside the box to enforce discipline on a largely undisciplined people.