Walking human 'traffic lights" in Guangzhou

(cri)
Updated: 2008-08-21 13:32

Volunteers dressed in T-shirts printed with traffic signals took to the streets in Guangzhou to help pedestrians obey traffic rules, the local "Information Times" reported on Thursday.

A volunteer dressed in T-shirts printed with traffic signals directs traffic at a crossroad in Guangzhou on Wednesday, August 20, 2008. [Photo: Information Times]

The volunteers, with red "stop" signs printed on the front of their t-shirts and the green "go" signs on the back acted in synch with the traffic lights. When the green light was on, they guided people crossing the street and when the red light was on, they held people back, to prevent pedestrians from jaywalking.

"People usually ignore traffic lights during rush hour but with the volunteers' helping, the situation has greatly improved," a local citizen surnamed Gao said. "More activities like this should be organized", he added.

As part of a safe traffic campaign in Guangzhou, over 100 volunteers on Wednesday helped guide pedestrians at 20 major crossroads in the city, with another 100 traffic intersections to be covered next week, the newspaper said.

According to the report, children are more likely to obey traffic rules than their parents. Nearly 100% of the elementary students surveyed said they always waited for traffic lights while only two adults in ten said they did.