8,000 fined for jaywalking in E China

Zhejiang province has fined 8,283 jaywalkers since March 1, when the province started a campaign against eight kinds of transport rule violations.　　

Among the eight violations, which include drunk driving and illegal parking, pedestrians running red lights and walking outside crosswalks has triggered the most heated controversy. The two violations each can come with a fine of 5 to 20 yuan ($0.80 to $3.22).

A pedestrian is fined 5 yuan for jaywalking in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province on March 21. [Photo/Xinhua]

Groups of pedestrians or riders getting together at crossings to run red lights are a common sight in Chinese cities, and the practice has been dubbed "the Chinese style of crossing the road".

How to regulate this behavior has been a headache for cities. Since March 1, Zhejiang province put to work a large police force to handle the problem.

Many pedestrians have become more law-abiding, but some are still showing dissatisfaction, even cursing or beating the policemen.

Analysts say the administration's intentions are good, but new questions arise: Are there enough police officers to enforce the rule on such a huge population of pedestrians, and whether pedestrians can change their habits on their own.