[sustran] fwd comments on Brazil pedestrian situation

[SUSTRAN Resource Centre]

fowarded from the pednet list:


Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 11:11:37 -0300
From: "=?iso-8859-1?Q?Jos=E9_Augusto_Rocha_Mendes?="
<gmendes at internetcom.com.br>
Subject: Re: pednet: Brazilian pedestrians

This message sent to pednet by "Augusto_Rocha_Mendes"
<gmendes at internetcom.com.br>.


- -----Mensagem original-----
De: Andrea <andrea at mail.gravitt.org>
Para: Pednet <pednet at flora.ottawa.on.ca>
Data: Quarta-feira, 8 de Setembro de 1999 11:12
Assunto: pednet: Brazilian pedestrians


>This message sent to pednet by "Andrea" <andrea at mail.gravitt.org>.
>
>The comments from the list member from Sao Paulo reminded me of something I
>was wondering about.
>
>Earlier this year, my company sent me to Brazil and many people warned me
>that pedestrians never have the right of way and that I must yield to cars
>at all times unless there was a specific pedestrian signal.
>
>Even then, I had some problems, and I would guess it was not just my
>perception -- there were teams of people with banners blocking cars so peds
>could cross a signalized intersection outside the weekend market. Also,
>someone mentioned that there were a number of red light cameras in use.
>
>Is this sort of thing common? It didn't seem to have any real impact. Even
>my European co-workers ignored stop signs and traffic lights when driving,
>just like the locals. Walking across the street to get lunch was a daily
>ordeal because there were no pedestrian signals at a complex intersection.


All that you said was true... Unfortunatelly...
The right of way in Brazil is to the cars. At the sinalized pedestrian
crosswalks, we observe a continuous disrespect of th red light. The
instalation of cameras to punish the violators don't reach success because
there is a new " legal industry" here... They're specialized on transit
violations...

The new Brazilian Transit Law, aproved on december, 1997 changes a lot of
this situation, but in an article the law introduces a bill that is paid by
pedestrias who walk outside the crosswalks. "blame the pedestrians again"?

We're trying to change this situation, but it took a long, long time.
Sorry about the behaviour of our citizens Andrea, hope the next visit be
better

Jose Augusto Mendes

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