Caught on the crossroads

If rules are meant to be broken, then this is one that’s violated every second without fail. And one may have to pay a heavy price for it. Jaywalking is not only an offence but an equally dangerous act.

   It is a practice rampant all over the City, mainly on MG Road, Brigade Road, Madiwala, Silk Board, Ejipura, Mysore Road, Hebbal Flyover and Corporation Circle.
The traffic police feel that their efforts to prevent people from jaywalking have not yielded much result. R Renukaiah, traffic police constable at Anil Kumble Circle, says, “Anil Kumble Circle is a heavy traffic area and there are four pedestrian crossings here — MG Road, St Mark’s Road, Queen’s Road and BRV Road crossing. However, while some people use them, many don’t. Jaywalking causes traffic jams. Citizens’ safety is also threatened as there is a high probability of accidents with vehicles coming at high speed.”

Agrees Muttanna, another constable at Cubbon Park, saying, “Traffic jams can still be cleared within a short duration but lives are precious, that we can’t save. Also, when speeding vehicles stop, they can get hit by the one behind. Jaywalkers pose harm to themselves and other drivers in the process.”

The fines don’t seem to have helped improve the situation and the police feels that it is the callous attitude on the part of citizens that is mainly to blame. “People are aware of the harmful consequences of jaywalking but they still do it. This shows a lack of discipline and negligence on their part. They seem to be really pressed for time to walk up to the zebra crossing and cross the road. It’s even more dangerous when the green signal is on. There have been so many accidents but no one seems to understand till the time it happens with them,” says Nagaraja, constable at Ashok Nagar.

    According to him, there should be more awareness campaigns, short films and videos made on the issue, that not only highlight jaywalking as a punishable offence but also draw attention to the grave fatalities associated with it. Citizens on their part have their own reasons for not adhering to the rules and engaging in the misdeed. Some point out that many a times, jaywalking occurs to avoid the inconvenience of spotting the zebra crossing that is not properly marked or painted at many points across the City. Lack of appropriate town planning and infrastructure also add to the list.

Veena, a resident of Hesaraghatta Road, works in Church Street and gets down the bus at the MG Road Metro Station. “I cross over to the other side of MG Road from the Metro Station in order to save time. Who will actually walk up to the Brigade Road signal and then take the U-turn to walk another lengthy stretch? I agree that’s its perilous but they should either introduce another signal or have a home guard who controls traffic and lets people cross.”

Raghunath also points out that jaywalking has indeed become a menace today and it is motorists like him who feel the nuisance.

“People crisscross the road wherever they feel like, as though it’s their right. However, we cannot completely blame the jaywalker because the town planners have not provided clear walking and road crossing paths. The poor and unscientific design of roads has indeed contributed to the chaos on roads.”

   Although infrastructure and other facilities need to improved, citizens need to understand the big risk they take while jaywalking. As MA Saleem, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) puts it, “Wherever adequate facilities for pedestrians are provided to cross roads — in the form of subways or skywalks — and they don’t use it, we book them for jaywalking.   But the bottomline is that people should follow rules, irrespective of fines, for their own benefit.”