Orkneys step into future with first zebra crossings

After the trouble caused by the introduction of roundabouts, police in the Orkneys took no chances yesterday as excited islanders tested the first zebra crossings.

After the trouble caused by the introduction of roundabouts, police in the Orkneys took no chances yesterday as excited islanders tested the first zebra crossings.

In Kirkwall, capital of the isles, officers were showing citizens the stripy road markings after a big publicity campaign including posters and "how to use a zebra crossing" advertisements in the press.

The Orkneys, off the north of Scotland, had learnt the lesson of the roundabout débâcle, said a council spokesman. "People were all stopping at once or going at the same time. They were not sure who to give way to. It was all very new for some people, so we decided to take precautions over bringing in zebra crossings."

The spokesman said that the four sets of crossings, including Belisha beacons, had caused such a stir in Kirkwall that a number of the 7,000 citizens were out on Monday night trying them out as they were installed.

Inspector Paul Eddington, the acting head of the Orkney Islands police, said that the crossings were needed to improve safety, particularly during Kirkwall's rush-hour, although, thankfully, no one could remember a pedestrian fatality in the town.

Inspector Eddington said: "I am happy to say there have been very few reports of indiscretions involving the zebra crossings, which we are encouraging people to use.

"There is no crime of jay- walking under Scots law, so there will be no clampdown but people who are misbehaving on the public highway will be dealt with."

The Orkneys, which boast one of Britain's oldest cathedrals, have been slower than some areas to introduce these traffic measures.

In mainland Britain the first pedestrian crossing was in Parliament Square in London in 1926 and the first Belisha beacons - which were named after minister of transport at the time, Leslie Hore-Belisha - were installed in 1934. Zebra crossings were introduced in 1951.

The first indications of the crossings being used on Orkney were encouraging, said John Holmes, the council's chief engineer, who added: "There is a reluctance on the part of pedestrians to put their feet on to the crossing, but that just shows they are aware of the potential dangers."

Trevor Baxter, Orkney council's adviser for children's services, explained the need for caution. "There are certainly children who have never been to the mainland and who have never seen a zebra crossing.

"There could also be adults - especially from the outer isles - who are in the same boat."

Mr Holmes said that as a follow-up to the introduction of zebra crossings, a study had been commissioned into whether the Orkneys should introduce traffic lights.