Pedestrians in a bind, tied to rules of the road

SHANGHAI: Authorities in Jiangsu province have come up with a novel way to get people to obey the rules of the road in addition to flashing lights, flags, whistles and road signs - they are putting up ropes to stop pedestrians from straying.

The new method introduced in the city's downtown area requires traffic wardens - those who stand beside traffic lights directing flow - to pull a rope across the pavement when the pedestrian's red light is on, to keep back pedestrians and bicyclists. When the light switches to green, the rope is pulled away.

Such a "primitive" method - it has already been mocked by many netizens - has produced positive results since it was introduced last week, said traffic police from Taizhou, Jiangsu province.