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Frequent jaywalkers, a motorist’s nightmare in UAE

On the note of spreading awareness, Sharjah Police are urging pedestrians to cross roads only from designated pedestrian crossings.

Dubai: On Sunday, a man was killed in a run-over accident in Sharjah, one of the many cases of jaywalking which has increasingly become a problem in the UAE, especially in the more crowded parts of Sharjah and Dubai.

With frequent jaywalkers spotted in Deira and Bur Dubai, Khaleej Times.com spoke with motorists who face this problem.

Asiya Sohail, Indian, says: “I don’t face jaywalkers too often, because signals are well timed and traffic flows well. But whenever I have come across jaywalkers, it’s mostly in areas in Deira and Bur Dubai. “Jaywalkers can be fined Dh200, yet most people still do it. I think it’s a case of people thinking that they’re doing it just once. So when everyone does it once in a while, it’s once too many at the same time!”

Similarly, Sri Lankan expatriate Sandun Wijesekara says: “I have come across jaywalkers frequently in Dubai, most often in Bur Dubai. I have seen police stopping offenders near the Dubai Airport and handing out fines. Maybe the government should impose stricter fines and (more patrols must) be around areas that tend to have most people jaywalking.”

On the other hand, Bellafkih Faycal, a Moroccan, holds a totally different view.

“I actually haven’t faced the problem of jaywalking in Dubai at all. I think it’s a very dangerous risk people take, but so far I’ve noticed most people in Dubai follow rules.”

But like most motorists in the country, Abdur Rehman Kureshi from Pakistan says: “While driving, I have been in situations where in spite of the presence of a footbridge and designated crossing areas, people refuse to use them. One solution could be keeping a watch over areas, especially ones which are more prone to accidents. However, campaigns should be run to educate pedestrians and drivers on the seriousness of the issue, thereby reducing the number of fatalities in the long run.”

On the note of spreading awareness, Sharjah Police are urging pedestrians to cross roads only from designated pedestrian crossings. But why do people feel the need to jaywalk in the first place? “The main reason for jaywalking, I think, is that zebra crossings are far apart and most people take the easy way out by running across from wherever they are,” says Indian resident Nitasha Varma.

“Before I started driving, I used public buses. But the stops are placed farther away, sometimes at almost 500 metres from the zebra crossing, tempting commuters to jaywalk. Maybe if crossings were closer, people would follow rules.

“As a motorist now in Dubai, I’ve noticed many jaywalkers near the Dubai-Sharjah border. It’s almost instinct now to slow down when passing by the area near Al Bustan Centre, for you never know when someone might run across. Another bad spot is near Deira City Centre, where in spite of a zebra crossing only about 20 metres away, people still run across the main road.”

Motorist in trouble: Lawyer

Leading lawyer Ashish Mehta says if a jaywalker or cyclist gets injured and hospitalised after being knocked down by a vehicle, the driver will be detained till the victim is out of danger.

“Cyclists and jaywalkers are a motorists’ nightmare,” he says. “Often cyclists appear suddenly, most often on the wrong side of the road without wearing reflector jackets, lights or even helmets. If the motorist gets into an accident injuring the cyclist, enough to be hospitalised, the motorist will be put in the lockup until the cyclist is discharged. Then trials will follow, and only then will a verdict be passed,” says Mehta.

“Similarly, if a motorist hits a jaywalker, who is then hospitalised, no matter what the case, the motorist will be put in the lockup until the jaywalker is discharged. In an unfortunate scenario if the jaywalker dies, and if cameras installed on roads or witnesses cannot prove the motorist is not guilty, the motorist will have to pay blood money.

 It then becomes his responsibility to find the family of the person killed, if the family is in the home country, then he must approach them there. Thereafter, the ambassador of that country becomes involved. It is very unfair to motorists. “I think the way forward is to impose fines on cyclists and jaywalkers who do not follow the rules. It is in public interest that these matters must be looked into.”

kymberlee@khaleejtimes.com