As the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force’s Traffic Department observes Traffic Road Safety Week Vincentians are being called on to stop abusing the nation’s crosswalks.
This comes from, Assistant Superintendent of Police and Head of the Traffic Department Parnel Browne during an appearance on WE FM’s Activated Mornings program. He noted that both pedestrians and motorists are guilty of this abuse.
“In our law we don’t penalize persons for jaywalking but I have seen on occasions where there is an area designation for pedestrians to cross which we call a pedestrian crossing, you have persons standing up sometimes in the middle of the road, taking a call, texting, people as if they are modeling. It is an area designated for you to cross in good time, if you are someone of a disability or if you are ill, I will understand that you have to take your time, but, we have persons who are just abusing the crossing,” he said.
ASP Browne also spoke in detail about motorists’ abuse of the nation’s crosswalks.
“…and in the same light we have motorists who will see pedestrians on the crossing trying to cross and are not willing to stop, now the law states when approaching a crossing as a motorist you have to approach with caution and prepare to stop.
It didn’t even say crossing, if you have the idea that this person is coming to cross you’re supposed to slow down and stop,” he said.
The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force Traffic Department officially launched Traffic Road Safety Week 2023 on Sunday, May 21, 2023.