Almost 200 people were fined for jaywalking in Macao during a single week in February, the Macau Daily Times reports – a figure that indicates an increasing focus on this common traffic violation.
According to the Public Security Police Force (PSP), 187 people received fines for crossing roads unlawfully between 10 and 16 February. The average of almost 27 fines per day was higher than the 23 per day seen throughout 2024.
The PSP has said it was being especially vigilant in areas where pedestrian crossings are present, but regularly ignored by those on foot.
[See more: The review of the new road traffic bill is expected to end by August]
It added that its stricter enforcement of road crossing rules followed complaints from road users about the frequency of illegal crossings in the city, which could cause traffic accidents.
The Times noted that a man was hit by a vehicle while allegedly jaywalking across Avenida Leste do Hipódromo, in northern Macao, just last week.
In Macao, the fine for each jaywalking infraction is typically 300 patacas (US$37).
The government is currently reviewing the SAR’s recently updated traffic law, which proposes a demerit system for both drivers and pedestrians and could see pedestrians banned from using their phones while crossing streets. The amendments followed news that traffic-related accidents in Macao increased by 21 percent between 2022 and 2023.
