Police issue fines to bad pedestrians

PEDESTRIANS who do not obey the rules of the road in Saint-Étienne now risk landing a fine.

Police in the city have been out on the streets for a number of days, monitoring the use of road crossings.

They have the power to impose a minimum fine of €4 on anyone who incorrectly uses a road crossing - for example, by walking outside the limits of the crossing or not waiting for the lights to change in their favour, Le Figaro has reported.

After two days in which police issuing verbal warnings last week, Friday was the first day of the crackdown proper. The paper said that officers issued 186 fines to people using designated crossings incorrectly in just 45 minutes.

The fines have been brought in after it was found six fatal collisions involving pedestrians in the city could have been avoided if they had behaved more responsibly.

Photo: Alain Rouiller