People wait at a new anti-jaywalking gate installed at a major intersection in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province. (Photo/China News Service)
The Central China city of Wuhan has stepped up its game against jaywalkers by installing large automatic pedestrian gates at intersections, the Chutian Metropolis Daily reported Thursday.
The gateways, complete with LED signs across the top, cordon off crosswalks with two ropes that automatically lower during red lights.
So far local residents say they're having an effect.
"It has become less congested and dangerous after the automatic gate was installed," said one resident Li about the busy intersection at Renmin and Nanhu avenues.
Although Li expressed doubts that the gate would eliminate jaywalking at the intersection, more pedestrians had been waiting patiently behind the ropes.
Part of a city pilot program, the gates aim to raise public awareness of traffic rules, according to Yan Hong, director of the Wuhan Civilization Office.
"We've had a problem with [such] traffic violations in the past," Yan said, "We have been educating the public not to jaywalk in recent years."
The city government had tried similar anti-jaywalking devices with mixed success.
In April a pedestrian turnstile at an intersection on Jinyingtan Avenue was removed a week after it was installed following criticism from local residents.
