It’s hard to fathom just what needs to be done to get through to jaywalkers that they are taking their lives in their hands if they persist in crossing busy roads.
In Sharjah alone, more than 12,800 jaywalkers have been fined between January and May alone — a high number that is already an increase on last year’s figures — representing a serious issue in what is clearly a blatant disregard for the law. Rightly, police in Sharjah have intensified their efforts to identify these miscreants who are a threat to their own safety and a clear and seemingly ever-present danger to motorists there.
What is disturbing too is that these 12,800 jaywalkers face fines of Dh400 for each infraction. Clearly, it would seem that this fine is not a sufficient deterrent, and people continue to jaywalk regardless. What’s more, there is every likelihood that those who commit these offences and face these fines are the least able to afford the payments in the first place.
What is galling too is that authorities in Sharjah have invested heavily in providing new pedestrian bridges and underpasses to prevent jaywalking and to improve traffic flows, but many of these jaywalking offences occur within a few metres of these new structures — effectively a lack of appreciation and a disrespect of civil order and norms.
Let’s be clear: Jaywalking is anti-social behaviour that cannot be tolerated. Certainly, fines are needed. Perhaps now it’s time for fines to be increased to levels that will force these miscreants not to repeat. In areas within 300 metres of a crossing, those fines should be doubled. And maybe a few days behind bars will teach repeat offenders a real lesson.
