E-bikers and cyclists wait at a newly-installed barrier gate in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, on Wednesday. Local traffic officials set up the gates to curb the rampant disregard for traffic rules among cyclists. (Photo/China News Service)
Taiyuan, North China's Shanxi Province is attempting to put the brakes on jaywalkers and cyclists alike with automatic gates installed at a number of the city's busiest intersections.
The drop-arm barriers will operate during morning and evening rush hours and are synced with traffic lights, the China News Service reported on Wednesday.
City officials said the toll-like gates aim to combat rampant "Chinese-style road crossing," or the widespread disregard for traffic rules common in many Chinese cities.
Local governments have tried various measures to deal with the problem in the past.
After rope barriers failed to deter jaywalkers, city managers in Hohhot, capital of North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, in 2015 resorted to installing telescopic barriers at heavily trafficked intersections, China News Service reported.
Some Net users supported the idea, saying that raising awareness to follow traffic regulations greatly benefits public safety.
However, some are still skeptical about the barriers' effectiveness.
"These measures cure the symptoms but not the problem," said Hohhot resident Jin Xian.
"The gates are not at every intersection and don't operate everyday," she added.
