Zebra crossings on important and busy roads and highways in Goa hardly serve the purpose of providing safety for pedestrians. This is borne out by the large number of existing zebra crossings where motorists hardly slow down or stop to allow pedestrians to cross, without the fear of being knocked down. The situation is no better at zebra crossings at traffic -light junctions, except, when manned by a traffic cop. What then is the solution to this nagging problem? It is pertinent to point out that in several countries, every pedestrian crossing has a pair of lights, blinking on either side of the crossing, that compels the motorists to stop or slow down when one sets foot on the crossing. This guarantees the safety of pedestrians crossing the road, as the punishment for any traffic offence on the zebra crossing is very high, and no motorist will dare to take chances. Are we ready for such changes for the safety of pedestrians? Or, are our traffic cops just on the lookout for erring motorists, to collect hefty fines and fill the coffers by adhering strictly to the rules of the new Motor Vehicles Act.
