Halting on zebra crossing at signals will land you in trouble

The Mumbai traffic police’s drive to control road accidents might land you in trouble if you make the mistake of crossing the zebra line while approaching a traffic signal.

The Mumbai traffic police’s drive to control road accidents might land you in trouble if you make the mistake of crossing the zebra line while approaching a traffic signal.

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Wednesday marked day one of the drive, “Don’t kill the Zebra”. The traffic police booked around 1,919 motorists who crossed the zebra crossing at signals, officials said.

“It is because motorists cross zebra crossings at signals, that pedestrians indulge in violations like jaywalking, thereby making them vulnerable to accidents. Besides, because of not following simple rules like keeping off the zebra crossing while driving, vehicular traffic increases. Since people do not follow these simple rules, we are conducting this drive,” said Brijesh Singh, additional commissioner of police, traffic.

Singh said that the drive will continue for a few days and will be stricter on Thursday. Every motorist crossing a zebra crossing will be liable to pay a fine of Rs100. “The drive is being conducted all over the city. All traffic divisions in the city have deployed traffic policemen who are working specifically on this task on priority basis,” said Singh.

The drive is to be carried out for the next couple of days. The police said they would maintain the surprise element to the checks by conducting them at random times and places.

Stopping a vehicle at a pedestrian crossing is a compoundable offence and the driver’s licence is impounded. If he admits to his fault, he has to shell out Rs100. But if he believes that he hasn’t committed any offence, then he can appear before a special metropolitan magistrate courts. The impounded licence can either be collected from the concerned traffic chowky within four days or from the court after 15 days. The traffic police have to prepare a report about the offence and send it to the regional transport office (RTO) within six months. The traffic police, in the past, has organised the ‘Stop at Halt Line’ campaign on several occasions.