Police in Kowloon West today launched a crackdown on jaywalkers. Careless pedestrians have been blamed for an increase in road accidents in the area.
The 12-day enforcement action will target jaywalking black spots in Mongkok, Yau Ma Tei and Tsim Sha Tsui; 12 are on Nathan Road and three on Jordan Road.
Police recorded 311 road accidents in Kowloon West last month, which involved six deaths and 129 injuries to pedestrians. The accident total was up 34.6 per cent from the corresponding month last year.
'Pedestrians have caused a considerable number of road accidents in our region in the past months, and most of them disobeyed traffic lights at busy junctions,' said Chief Inspector Tony Cheng Chung-hang, of the Kowloon West traffic enforcement and control unit.
'Many accidents happened because pedestrians thought roads were wide enough for them to race traffic lights,' he said.
During the 12-day crackdown, Operation Eagle Eye, police said they were likely to issue summonses rather than warnings.
