Shanghai jaywalkers to be shamed

Crossing Shanghai streets can be a daunting task

Pedestrians who fail to use the proper crossing points to cross the road in Shanghai face a public shaming, local media report.

Police will post video and pictures of offenders in newspapers and on TV, reported the Shanghai Daily.

The newspaper says police recorded 7.78 million violations at city intersections in the first eight months of 2008.

But lawyers have called the punishment excessive for the offence.

"It's a principle of the law that a penalty should match the seriousness of the crime," Liu Chunquan, a local lawyer, told the Shanghai Daily.

Photos and video of offending pedestrians and cyclists will be carried in special newspaper columns and in dedicated TV programmes, the paper reported.

Crossing the road can be a hair-raising business in Shanghai - China's commercial capital and home to more than 20 million people.

Traffic violations by pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists is a problem in the city, say correspondents - but jaywalking can be the only option when vehicles fail to stop at legal crossings.