The Hindu : New Delhi News : No jaywalking please, this is Delhi…

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 06, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

No jaywalking please, this is Delhi…

Staff Reporter

– PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN

THE NEW ROAD SHOW: Police personnel challaning pedestrians found violating traffic rules on the first day of the new drive in the Capital on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: After years of chastising and challaning speeding vehicles of all shapes and sizes and under-age, inebriated drivers for all sorts of traffic violations, the Delhi traffic police are now gunning for a paradigm shift in their outlook by imposing fines on “jaywalkers” at six busy crossings across the Capital.

Over 184 nonchalant pedestrians were fined on Wednesday as part of this drive as they scurried across busy intersections paying little heed to the traffic lights. “We have challaned 20 pedestrians since morning and tried to drill some road sense into their heads. Regular announcements were also made over the megaphone urging the public to follow traffic guidelines,” said Sub-Inspector Balwan Singh of the Parliament Street Circle as he brandished a sheaf of challan-slips in his hand.

The Inspector said each jaywalking culprit was fined Rs.20 and was supposed to appear before a magistrate where he could be fined a further amount up to Rs.100. “We have noted their address and tried to verify it with any identity card that they were carrying,” he added.

The decision to fine jaywalkers has been implemented under Section 28 of the Delhi Police Act which provides the police with the power to formulate new rules for better governance of traffic.

The presence of six traffic policemen at the Barakhamba Road crossing on Wednesday evening made a palpable difference to people waiting to scamper across the road, who now waited patiently albeit restlessly at the zebra crossing mindful of the watchful eyes of the cops.

This check on jaywalking had myriad interpretations among the public. Fourth semester engineering student Chirag Mendiratta said the move was called for considering the disdain with which pedestrians regularly run across roads in the Capital.

“But are there enough zebra crossings to ensure that one does not have to walk a country-mile to cross from the legally designated spot?” he asked.

Journalism student Supriya Vohra, who escaped being fined by the skin of her teeth after she refrained from running through the onslaught of peak-hour traffic on spotting a cop eyeing her every move, heaved a gasp of relief and said: “I anyway get a pittance for pocket money. If I get fined for jaywalking, I’ll probably have to walk to college as I won’t be able to afford the Metro, and in the bargain I’ll get fined even more.”

The voice of sanity was, however, propounded by Constable Mukesh Kumar at Barakhamba Road: “Just like most laws, the move will be effective as long as there are cops present to enforce it. And even if pedestrians cease jaywalking at traffic lights due to police presence, there are several other places along roads where their sprints would go unchecked. One cannot deploy the police at every spot.”

For the record, 30 pedestrians were fined at Tilak Marg “W” Point, 20 on Barakhamba Road, 55 on Boulevard Road, 20 at Delhi Gate, 19 at Ashram Chowk and 40 in Moti Nagar.

The road show has just begun.

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