By Lester Kok

JAYWALKERS, beware.

The Traffic Police, which has stepped up enforcement, issued 6,200 summonses in the first nine months of this year - 900 more than in the corresponding nine months last year.

Pedestrians caught disregarding basic safety rules have been issued composition fines of $20.

On a recent morning, Traffic Police personnel, who were looking out for offenders in front of the MRT station along Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4, nabbed 15 in five minutes.

Mr Rezha Pratama, 25, an information technology officer, was sheepish about being caught dashing across the road.

He said of the fine: 'It is okay, it was my fault anyway.'

But one jaywalker, a student in his 20s who declined to be named, was unhappy about being fined. His excuse for jaywalking: 'There were no cars.'

Mr Benjamin Ng, a resident in the area, said he did not think the $20 fine was a deterrent.

The 24-year-old programmer, who admitted that he, too, had often ignored the traffic lights when crossing the road to get to the MRT station, said: 'It is out of convenience that people jaywalk. That way, they don't have to wait for the lights.

'But if you see the Traffic Police there, you will stop, just like how a driver will slow down for the same reason.'

If offenders do not want to pay the fine and claim trial instead, they stand to be fined up to $1,000, or jailed up to three months, if found guilty.

It hurts even more for repeat offenders. The fine can go up to $2,000 and the jail term up to six months.

Some motorists think the composition fine will do little to deter pedestrians from jaywalking, and that the practice will continue.

Mr P. Balakrishnan, 44, a taxi driver of 11 years, said the fine may be too low for younger Singaporeans.

'Maybe $20 for the older people is enough, but for the youngsters, they just pay up,' he said. 'But if you raise the fine, then it becomes too much for the elderly.'

Businessman Damon Widjaja, 26, who has been driving for five years, said motorists must always be on the alert for jaywalkers.

'I think jaywalking is especially dangerous for newbie drivers as they might not be able to react in time to avoid an accident,' he said.

The Traffic Police urges the public to use designated pedestrian crossings and not to cross expressways.

Motorists are also reminded to be on the alert for pedestrians, especially the young and the aged, and to anticipate people dashing across the road.

The top three jaywalking hotspots are Tampines Central 1, Boon Lay Way and Woodlands Square.

lesterk@sph.com.sg

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