No mercy for jaywalkers

by Ananda Agalakada

Jaywalkers have finally met their Waterloo. The traffic police has been given strict orders to apprehend pedestrians who do not adhere to traffic rules said a senior police officer. About 300 offenders are caught by the police daily. It is a common scene at Borrella junction by pass, Pettah, Slave-Island and Kollupitiya as well as busy junctions that pedestrians do not follow the zebra crossings but cross the road at the risk of life.People do not realise the degree of danger and other complications involved in this negative practice.

When they are caught by the police they come out with various excuses such as late to office or they were rushing to see a patient in hospital or they have to pick up a child from school or they are already late for some urgent assignment, they plead with the police to release them.

The police said many fatal accidents occur due to the sheer negligence of the pedestrians in addition to the reckless driving of motorists.

Although the police carried out many awareness programs for the pedestrian they would not follow them.

A penalty not less than Rs.1000 would be enforced by the court for the offenders.In addition people would have to face many problems such as wasting their valuable time as well as lawyer’s fees on account of this offences.

The police further says that an attitudinal change in the mindset is necessary to avert motor accident in the city.