Gates cramp style of Wuhan jaywalkers

Automatic gates have been installed at a busy crossroad in downtown Wuhan, Hubei province, to prevent pedestrians from crossing on a red light.

And if you break the rules, your face will instantly appear on a big display screen.

The gates, similar to the turnstiles at subway stations, have been placed near a major shopping mall on Jinyitan Road as part of the city's effort to crack down on jaywalking.

They are part of a pilot project to encourage people on foot to obey traffic rules, according to a head of the design team from Wuhan Xinhongkai Traffic Technology Co, who was quoted in a report by Chutian Metropolis Daily using only his surname, Zhu.

Synchronized with the traffic lights, the gates close on red and open on green.

A large electronic display screen was set up behind the gate, and cameras monitor the pedestrian action. Anyone breaking the rules is photographed and shown on the display.

The gates are still being tested, Zhu said, adding that guardrails will be built soon to prevent people from walking through the gap between the gate and curb.

Zhu said the system costs 300,000 to 400,000 yuan ($44,000 to $58,000).

The company is paying for the pilot. If the test is effective, the company will promote it in other places that have large pedestrian flows.

A source at the Wuhan Traffic Administration Bureau who asked not to be named, told China Daily on Thursday that the gates were installed by the company to evaluate new products.

"We are following this pilot project to see whether it is practical," the source said.

Zou Hao, 30, a Wuhan resident working in the public sector, said: "I think it is not a good deal. The cost is high and the results may be poor.

"To stop people from running red lights, raising people's awareness of safety and strengthening public morals is essential. Our public behavior will influence others. Ignoring traffic lights puts lives in danger, and traffic is sometimes blocked."

Contact the writers atyangwanli@chinadaily.com.cn??