Jaywalking has to be curbed

THERE can't be any second opinion that the way jaywalking has proliferated in the city it requires immediate and effective remedial measures as a cruicial part of traffic management. There is no alternative to enforcing discipline in the riotous form that pedestrian traffic has taken. Not only overall traffic is being obstructed but lives are put at risk, too.

That said, we now turn to the impulsive decision to impose a fine of Taka 200 or have an offender serve a jail sentence for six months to discourage people from crossing the road dangerously. The either/or penal dispensation between Taka 200 as fine or six months in jail sounds ludicrous , to say the least. It's certainly not well thought out in terms of penal provision as well as the timing of the drive which is set for tomorrow.

What we would like the authorities to prioritise at the moment is to fix the existing fledgling foot overbridges and underpasses. These need to be repaired and lighted at night. Simultaneous with this step , an awareness building campaign will have to be launched to sensitise the people against jaywalking.

They should also be made aware of the penalties they will have to endure if they break law. Finally, we are disposed towards fining rather than putting the offenders in jail.