I would like to raise the issue of completely faded pedestrian crossings on King Faisal Street, in Sharjah. It is very difficult for pedestrians to locate the lines and cross the road on either side and the safety of pedestrians has become a major concern. Accidents are waiting to happen here at any time.
Fines are being imposed on motorists and jaywalkers for not abiding by the rules of the road and to prevent pedestrian deaths. The authorities are doing their best for the safety of the pedestrians, but such faded crossings make both pedestrians and motorists oblivious. This issue is mainly affecting the elderly as they can’t walk as fast as the young to avoid accidents while crossing the road. It is frightening to see children simply run across without thinking of the exact time limit to cross the road when the vehicles approach them at high speeds.
There is a supermarket in the area and this causes residents of the neighbourhood to jaywalk, as the signal and designated crossing is miles away.
I regularly cross this road to go to my extracurricular classes and many other children cross the road without being escorted by their parents.
There are a few responsible motorists who are considerate and slow down as soon as they realise that someone is crossing the road. Others have a total disregard of the dangers to pedestrians while they speed.
I urge all community members to be careful in crossing roads, and I also request the concerned authorities to urgently make repairs to this crossing for pedestrian safety.
The reader is a pupil based in Sharjah.
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