[sustran] Re: Pelican Crossings!!

Dr Adhiraj Joglekar adhiraj.joglekar at googlemail.com
Wed Jul 14 17:19:19 JST 2010


Cornie,
I do not think its to do with drivers per se. Its to do with the robust
training drivers in some EU countries need to take that creates safe habits.
The same drivers may well be far more anti-social in other aspects of their
lives. People in Asia are generally law abiding as well but the Governments
have failed them.

For instance, India has a ridiculous rudiment of a document called Motor
Vehicles Act which is not even 10% as detailed as the UK highway code.
Interestingly, the rules of the road in India are exactly the same as in UK.
If I as an individual could create 17 odd videos (
www.driving-india.blogspot.com) to educate drivers, why has 60 years of
Indian Government failed to do something similar or better?

Last year I even got permission to translate the UK highway code to Indian
languages (work pending as unfortunately I have a full time job elsewhere)
and all I did was write an e-mail to the Crown Copyright.

Indian Government can move the world to get the nuclear deal and spends god
knows how much money on an army base in the Himalayan ranges - but sadly,
they are yet to realise the biggest terrorist is the person behind the
streering of a motor vehicle (going by fatalities per year).

Instead we have created corrupt systems which seem rather sustainable as it
is possible even today to get a license across the country without even
sitting the 'drive in a straight line' test.

We spend million on enginerring but the key lies in a different set of E's -
education and then another one called enforcement.

Cheers

Adhiraj



On 14 July 2010 02:47, Cornie Huizenga <
cornie.huizenga at slocatpartnership.org> wrote:

> Paul,
>
> I very much like the part in the Zebra definition: "drivers must give way
> to
> pedestrians who
>  demonstrate intent to cross".  I am afraid that this part has not been
> read by 99.9% of the drivers in Asia.
>
> Having lived now in Asia for almost 15 years it is always a surprise when I
> go back to Europe and see cars stop when I am on the side of the road near
> a
> zebra crossing.
>
> Here in Asia I would put more trust in a pedestrian traffic light than in a
> zebra crossing.
>
> Cornie
>
> On Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 8:44 PM, Paul Barter <peebeebarter at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > A few words on terminology.
> >
> > This is a useful debate on pedestrian facilities (and when or whether
> they
> > help).
> >
> > But 'pelican crossing' and 'puffin crossing' are not familiar terms in
> most
> > places outside Britain. [I for one didn't understand them until looking
> > them
> > up just now.]
> >
> > So here are some wikipedia definitions (which may be wrong?):
> >
> > "In the United Kingdom and parts of the
> > Commonwealth<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth>,
> > animal names are often used to distinguish several types of such
> crossings:
> >
> >   - Zebra crossing <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra_crossing>: wide
> >   longitudinal stripes on road, often with belisha
> > beacons<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belisha_beacon>;
> >   pedestrians may cross at any time; drivers must give way to pedestrians
> > who
> >   demonstrate intent to cross.
> >   - Pelican crossing <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican_crossing>:
> > traffic
> >   lights <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_light> for pedestrians
> and
> >   vehicles; button-operated.
> >   - Puffin crossing <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffin_crossing>:
> >   pedestrian lights on near side of road; button-operated with curb-side
> >   detector.
> >   - Toucan crossing <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toucan_crossing>: for
> >   bicycles <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle> as well as
> pedestrians."
> >
> >
> > As an Australian (in Singapore) I would use 'pedestrian activated traffic
> > lights' (or in casual conversation just 'pedestrian lights') for both
> > pelican and puffin crossings. The animal terms are obviously shorter. But
> > only useful if we all understand them. 'Zebra' seems common everywhere
> but
> > not the others.
> >
> > All the best
> >
> > Paul
> > --------------------------------------------------------
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> Cornie Huizenga
> Joint Convener
> Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport
> Mobile: +86 13901949332
> cornie.huizenga at slocatpartnership.org
> www.slocat.net
> --------------------------------------------------------
> To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
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>
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