Police to rope in jaywalkers

Yasaratne GAMAGE

The Police yesterday began strictly implement the law regarding jaywalkers specially in Colombo and other main cities. Accordingly pedestrians who do not use designated pedestrian crossings, subways and flyovers to cross the road will be taken to court and fined up to Rs 3,500, revealed Police Media Spokesman SP Ajith Rohana.

'The related law in the Motor Traffic Act, initiated in 1987, nuber 444/18 states that a pedestrian should cross the road using the pedestrian crossing or when there is a pedestrian crossing within a 50 metre distance from where a pedestrian intends to cross the road inclusive of sub ways and flyovers he added.

'Those who violate this law would be taken to the magistrates courts and following a brief hearing they would be fined Rs 1000 in the fist instance, Rs 2000 for the second occasion and Rs 3500 for the consecutive third offence. Police will not slap spot fines here after , SP Ajith Rohana stressed.

He further noted that Colombo,Borella, Maradana , Fort, Kollupitiya and Bambalapitiya are places where pedestrians constantly do not abide by the law when crossing the road.

The particular law regarding using pedestrian crossings have been in existence since 1987 and the Police has started to strictly implement it to reduce traffic accidents, and for the safety of the road users. Pedestrian crossing violations have increased to 4,222 during the first six months this year whereas there were only 1,866 cased reported in 2011.

The figures stand at 1,330 in Colombo alone in 2011 while Police have filed 1,107 cases on violation of pedestrian crossing rules within six months in 2012.

Police media sources also revealed that from 9am to 12 noon there have been more jaywalkers in Colombo when compared to other times of the day.

SP Ajith Rohana said that the law will not be imposed when there are no pedestrian crossings, for example in rural areas. Anyhow it is the responsibility of the pedestrian to cross the road safely even without a zebra crossing on the road.

Disabled and elderly persons who cant use a sub way or a fly over can seek the assistance of a Traffic Police officer to cross the road.