Red light alert gets green light

Don't be alarmed when you see a red light shine on you as you cross the road. The Transport Department will install more red-light alerts in waiting areas after it received positive views on stepping up pedestrian safety from a trial.

When the pedestrian light's "red man" signal is lit, the device will project a red light onto the waiting area of the pavement to remind people, especially those staring at their mobile phone, not to cross the road.

The Transport Department says the number of people jumping a red light has been reduced by one-fourth, so it decided to install more "red light" alerts at accident black spots.

But some still ignored the alert as more than 10 people still crossed the road when the "red man" was on at a crosswalk outside Tsuen Wan Market.

Lawmaker Frankie Ngan Man-yu supported more alerts.

"I did doubt the effectiveness of these traffic lights, but those four crosswalks which installed such devices recorded no traffic accidents," said Ngan.