Shanghai looks to Hong Kong for jaywalking solution

A Shanghai legislator has proposed the city adopt a system of road markings similar to Hong Kong's in a bid to cut down on jaywalking.

Yu Guoqiang, a deputy to the Shanghai People's Congress, made the suggestion to the legislative body's ongoing annual session on Tuesday.

"When I was in Hong Kong, I learned from the residents there that since childhood they had a very clear concept of what red lines on the pavement meant," said Yu, who is also chairman of Shanghai Xiaolin Printing Co.

"They said they would never cross the street wherever they saw red lines."

Chen Danyan, another local legislator, said that when deputies carried out an inspection of some of the city's intersections last summer, they found pedestrians and nonmotorized vehicles committed far more traffic violations than motor vehicles did.

She called jaywalkers to be more severely punished, as at present they are only fined 10 yuan ($1.45).