Jaywalkers seem to be inviting trouble

I live in the Maysaloon area, in Sharjah at the Al Zahra Street. I was travelling towards the post office with my father a few days ago, and I observed that a lot of people were frequently jaywalking and crossing the road on the stretch close to Al Zahra Hospital. The pedestrians were crossing the road at various spots. Some were even running across the road, hoping to quickly cross it before a car approaches.

A lot of people were seen talking on the phone while jaywalking and they were not even aware of the moving cars nearby. This was making driving really difficult for my father. It was really risky. I felt concerned for the safety of both the motorists and pedestrians as jaywalking is a risk to both. They seem to be inviting trouble.

I spoke to some of my father’s colleagues who stay in that area.

Haneef Hussain, who works as an assistant manager in Sharjah, said: “I do have the same concern while driving on that road during the busy evenings. People cross the road at various points on the road, sometimes running as well. This makes cars stop suddenly, which makes driving risky for all the motorists and for the pedestrians, too.”

Avinash Carneiro, an IT professional, lives in the area along the same road.

He said: “It is really risky for us to cross the roads in the area. Sometimes, to buy bread from a bakery in the area, we need to walk quite a long way to reach the pedestrian crossing and then cross the roads. Otherwise, we have to take a risk by crossing the busy road from an undesignated area. There should be a few more pedestrian crossings in this area to make it convenient for pedestrians to cross the road. It will also make people cross the roads at the designated areas. I cannot take my children out for a walk as it is a risky zone.”

With proper measures from the concerned authorities, this issue can be addressed. I have noticed that the authorities have installed a lot of barriers on other roads around the emirate to stop people from jaywalking or crossing the roads from undesignated spots. They should consider installing them here, too. It will be good for the community if the road is made safer for both pedestrians and motorists, as this is a real concern for the community.

A lot of people gather in this area on Friday evenings. They would feel safer to cross the road at a proper designated area. For their sake, I hope the authorities look into this matter and make this area safer.

— The reader is a pupil based in Sharjah.

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FACTBOX:

According to a Gulf News report published in May, jaywalking on any road (excluding small roads in communities) from undesignated spots is a crime punishable by the UAE Traffic Law with a fine of Dh200.

Gulf News also reported in June 2012, that pedestrians have been advised by the authorities to not cross roads with speeds of more than 80km/h because they could be held liable for any accidents.