Indian Jaywalkers Feel the Strong Arm of the Law

Posted by Shabana on December 10, 2007
Filed under: New Delhi, News

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New Delhi Jaywalkers

New Delhi’s traffic is notoriously chaotic. Traffic rules are conspicuous by their absence in one of the world’s most dangerous cities for pedestrians. Jaywalking has always been a problem, notwithstanding a 27 year old rule that expressly forbids it. People cross roads long before the red light comes on, and keep doing so after vehicles have started moving.

It’s not so much blatant disregard for rules, as it is a practical necessity. In one of the world’s most populated cities, the 3 minutes that the sign stays green isn’t long enough for hordes of pedestrians to snake through to the other side.

So, when local cops began enforcing the little known law on Wednesday, not everyone was amused. Offenders at busy New Delhi intersections were asked to cough up 20 Rupees (about 50 cents) in fines, and reactions varied from indignation (“The lights don’t stay green long enough for us to cross”) to some nervous hand wringing. Cops insist that their aim is to educate, not punish.

Don’t expect the orderly conduct to last long, however. Indian traffic rules are notorious for their limited shelf life. As one courier boy noted, “Next time I’ll be watchful. I’ll look to see if there’s a traffic policeman before crossing.”

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Comments

Lajja
October 23rd, 2008
7:09 am

HI..

I live in Mumbai (Bombay) and betcha the roads here are more crowded & full of traffic than in Delhi.

My question to our traffic police is - where does a pedestrian cross if the damn cars park on the zebra crossing??!!

I love my country but there are some problems I just feel hopelessly lack a solution!