Blight on the tourist belt
IF the Penang Island Municipal Council ever decides to seriously throw the book at jaywalkers in Batu Ferringhi, the fines would be a substantial source of revenue for the local authority's coffers.
Anyone familiar with the tourist belt can attest to the fact that jaywalkers rule in Batu Feringghi.
Day or night, they pose a danger to other road users, instead of the other way around and is most rampant on weekends and long holidays.
And yes, they include foreigners -- tourists who flock to the beach hotels to enjoy Penang's famous sun kissed beaches.
As a resident of Batu Ferringhi, I face the daunting task of avoiding the law-breakers when I am driving on the road.
It is prevalent along the Jalan Batu Ferringhi stretch, especially near the popular tourist night market. Personally, I have had a few near misses.
More often than not, even when the motorists honk their horns, the jaywalkers do not move to the side to let them pass. The frustrated motorists are forced to gingerly navigate around the jaywalkers to avoid hitting them.
The pedestrians lack of respect for the law is understandable because they are engrossed with the myriad of attractions around them. Topping the list of attractions are the rows and rows of stalls selling souvenirs including imitation goods. Another distraction are pirated DVDs.
The pedestrians appear to be in hurry to get the best deals from the vendors.
To be fair, they are not entirely to be blamed as the souvenir stalls have taken over the pedestrian walkway.
As if that is not bad enough, the absence of zebra crossings forces the pedestrians to risk their lives whenever they cross the road. There is also no overhead pedestrian bridges in the area.
The presence of policemen does not help either.
Fortunately, we have been spared of any tragedy involving jaywalking so far.
However, the authorities should not wait for disaster to strike before taking the matter seriously.
We also don't want to harass or inconvenient the pedestrians, especially tourists, by simply booking them for jaywalking.
That will be bad for the tourism sector. The onus is on the authorities.
They should be proactive and clear the walkway of unlicensed stalls, install a zebra crossing or even put someone to man the busy spots to help pedestrians cross the road safely.
Until these measures are taken, or tourists stop flocking Batu Ferringhi, motorists like myself pray hard that nothing untoward happens to us and the jaywalkers.
~News courtesy of New Straits Times~
IF the Penang Island Municipal Council ever decides to seriously throw the book at jaywalkers in Batu Ferringhi, the fines would be a substantial source of revenue for the local authority's coffers.
Anyone familiar with the tourist belt can attest to the fact that jaywalkers rule in Batu Feringghi.
Day or night, they pose a danger to other road users, instead of the other way around and is most rampant on weekends and long holidays.
And yes, they include foreigners -- tourists who flock to the beach hotels to enjoy Penang's famous sun kissed beaches.
As a resident of Batu Ferringhi, I face the daunting task of avoiding the law-breakers when I am driving on the road.
It is prevalent along the Jalan Batu Ferringhi stretch, especially near the popular tourist night market. Personally, I have had a few near misses.
More often than not, even when the motorists honk their horns, the jaywalkers do not move to the side to let them pass. The frustrated motorists are forced to gingerly navigate around the jaywalkers to avoid hitting them.
The pedestrians lack of respect for the law is understandable because they are engrossed with the myriad of attractions around them. Topping the list of attractions are the rows and rows of stalls selling souvenirs including imitation goods. Another distraction are pirated DVDs.
The pedestrians appear to be in hurry to get the best deals from the vendors.
To be fair, they are not entirely to be blamed as the souvenir stalls have taken over the pedestrian walkway.
As if that is not bad enough, the absence of zebra crossings forces the pedestrians to risk their lives whenever they cross the road. There is also no overhead pedestrian bridges in the area.
The presence of policemen does not help either.
Fortunately, we have been spared of any tragedy involving jaywalking so far.
However, the authorities should not wait for disaster to strike before taking the matter seriously.
We also don't want to harass or inconvenient the pedestrians, especially tourists, by simply booking them for jaywalking.
That will be bad for the tourism sector. The onus is on the authorities.
They should be proactive and clear the walkway of unlicensed stalls, install a zebra crossing or even put someone to man the busy spots to help pedestrians cross the road safely.
Until these measures are taken, or tourists stop flocking Batu Ferringhi, motorists like myself pray hard that nothing untoward happens to us and the jaywalkers.
~News courtesy of New Straits Times~
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