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posted Friday, 21 September 2007
In the centre of Liuzhou there is a crossroads junction which I tend to have to cross several times a week. It is one of the busiest in the city. It is also one of the few with no traffic lights. And it never has the traffic police or road crossing attendants you find at other less busy junctions
Taxis appear from all directions, buses swing round the corner without looking, those damned electric bikes charge back and forward at random, little old ladies shove past you – you get the picture.
So imagine my delight to discover that the authorities have dealt with the problem. Did they install traffic lights with suitable pedestrian phases? Order the traffic cops to take charge of the chaos?
No. They painted the road.
Lots of stripes everywhere. I used it this morning. Total chaos. The local government website claims that “According to the Police, the new sign allows more traffic on the streets and makes it safer for pedestrians to cross the road. Police also warmed (sic) the public to follow traffic signs and do not overlap or cross the sign; pedestrians must walk in the crosswalks for security.”
How can painting stripes allow more traffic onto a road? How is more traffic safer?
“Pedestrians must walk in the crosswalks for security.” – excuse me? I did and was nearly mown down by those electric bikes which shot across the crosswalk straight at me!” I would have been safer outside the designated area.
Rather cleverly, they have managed to trap a taxi rank and bus station inside the painted no go zones. Naturally, the taxis and buses ignore this, so nothing has really changed.
Strawberry Fields - Nothing is Real.
That is so funny! nice blog!