Muscat - Road safety experts have warned pedestrians not to endanger their lives and those of others by jaywalking.
They said that jaywalkers can be held responsible and liable once it is proven the accident happened at a spot from where they were not supposed to cross the roads.
“Jaywalking is a concern and people need to be careful. Pedestrians should use pavements and they should not cross roads where there are no pedestrian crossings. It is always best to be safe and follow guidelines,” an ROP official said.
Eng Ali Ahmed al Barwani, a road safety expert and member of the Oman Road Safety Association, said roads in Muscat are always busy, with many pedestrians crossing from where they are not supposed to do so, or walking on roads even when footpaths are available. “The issue is that jaywalking is increasing. This is something that needs to be highlighted widely and investigated why pedestrians cross roads from non-marked points.”
Eng Barwani said that most of the pedestrians include families with kids, youth groups and workers. “They are seen on roads around malls, restaurants, as well as on main roads attempting to go to the other side to catch a taxi, for example.”
He said that there are many reasons that people indulge in such habits. “The top one is that there is no legal action taken against jaywalkers in Oman. Although, jaywalking is not considered illegal in many countries, there are guidelines that mandate pedestrians to cross roads the right way. This is important to be included in Oman’s traffic laws, which will contribute in eliminating such unsafe behaviour.”
He added that infrastructure for pedestrians needs more improvements in Oman. “There is a need to add more points to cross roads as well as safer walking areas. It is also important to have more awareness campaigns in various languages to curb jaywalking. I urge pedestrians at all times to look for safe points to cross the road.”
On the other hand, motorists need to be careful while commuting. “Drivers need to be vigilant during the summer season which is also vacation time for many schools. There are many pedestrians on roads especially children who are sometimes not easy to notice. I urge drivers to exercise caution in parking areas such as at malls and stay alert while driving.”
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