Red light! Cops get tough on jaywalking

Jaywalkers in Shau Kei Wan were each slapped with a HK$2,000 fine on Tuesday morning, as police have launched the year’s first citywide operation combating traffic violations.

The operation targets various traffic violations, including careless driving, failure to give way to pedestrians at zebra crossings, speeding, using mobile phones while driving, drunk driving, driving under the influence of drugs, and violations related to traffic lights, traffic signs, and road markings.

From 9am this morning, plainclothes police officers were deployed near the intersection of Shing On Street and Shau Kei Wan Road to intercept jaywalkers.

Among those stopped by the officers were mostly elderly and foreign domestic workers. Within an hour, nearly 10 individuals were intercepted, with officers recording the details of the offenders for issuing summonses.

Some of the elderly told reporters they were unaware of the traffic light signals, while some complained to the offices that they couldn't afford to pay the fine, adding that the HK$2,000 fine is a heavy burden for them.

The police also invited a reporter from Sing Tao Headline to join them in an unmarked police vehicle for an operation. Officers later issued fines to a driver caught using a hand-held mobile phone or similar telecommunications devices while driving his van on West Kowloon Highway.

The police force announced earlier that in the first quarter of the year until March, Hong Kong witnessed 21 fatal traffic accidents resulting in 23 deaths. The number of fatalities and fatal traffic accidents increased by approximately 40 percent compared to the same period last year.

Among the fatalities, 11 were drivers, including five motorcyclists,and three truck drivers, while the rest were drivers of taxis, private cars, and public service vehicles.

Meanwhile, the police said up to March this year, seven pedestrians died in traffic accidents, with six of them aged 65 or above.

The most common causes were disobeying traffic signals while crossing the road, jaywalking, or walking into blind spots of large vehicles.

The police also noted instances where citizens would cross multiple lanes and climb over railings, leading to dangerous situations.

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