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Taimano wants to fine jaywalking
Rep. Francis Taimanao (Ind-Saipan) has authored a bill to establish provisions on jaywalking, including making it unlawful for any pedestrian to cross any road at any point between adjacent intersections that are controlled by any traffic control signal device or police officer except in an officially designated cross walk.
A pedestrian who crosses a street outside a marked cross walk will be guilty of traffic infraction, per the bill, and will be fined $25 for the first offense, $50 for second offense, and $75 for the third or subsequent offense.
The bill creates a jaywalking special account for these fines to be expended by the Department of Public Works for the purposes of “promoting public safety,” mandating that 30 percent of fines collected be used to fund repair and maintenance of crosswalks to include signage and markings.
“The Commonwealth community, in most cases tourists and residents alike, fail to comply with safety traffic rules most especially in heavy traffic areas. Currently there are no jaywalking penalties that would deter such action,” Taimano writes in the bill’s findings. “The Legislature is mindful of how important it is to support the tourism industry, however, lawmakers are also mindful of their promise to provide the highest quality of public safety.”
