Jaywalkers in China beware. Crossing the street against the lights could lead to punishments at work, including being overlooked for a promotion and a loss of salary bonuses.
A draft traffic regulation in the eastern city of Nanjing, Jiangsu province, proposes that people repeatedly caught jaywalking or riding bikes through red traffic lights be reported to their employers, state media said on Friday.
“Under the new rules, work promotions and bonuses could be denied for employees who are repeatedly reported for jaywalking,” the China Daily reported.
China’s law on road safety states that every work unit or company has the responsibility to educate their staff on traffic regulations, an official at Nanjing’s traffic administration bureau told the paper.
“We are seeking cooperation with each [work] unit for a more efficient way of combating jaywalking,” the official surnamed Zhang said.
The controversial suggestion, however, has come under a barrage of criticism.
“People’s salaries should be based on one’s professional performance. It is nonsense to say their wages could be affected by things that happen outside work,” lawyer Liu Zhengchao was quoted as saying.
Nanjing already fines jaywalkers 20 yuan ($2,5) and cyclists and moped drivers 50 yuan for crossing against red traffic lights.
China’s roads are some of the world’s deadliest, with nearly 100 000 people killed in accidents last year — largely due to lax enforcement of traffic rules, badly designed roads and inexperienced or reckless drivers. – AFP