Adelaide, Kartunet.com - The Australian government provides accessible pedestrian crossing aids for both pedestrians and cyclists. These devices are poles with a button on one side, featuring a raised, tactile arrow indicating the crossing direction. At some intersections, multiple aids are used to cross in different directions. If standalone, they are only 1 meter tall, with the button located approximately 80-90 cm from the ground. In some locations, these devices are attached to traffic light poles.
These devices are not exclusively for people with disabilities but are designed for all road users, including pedestrians, wheelchair and four-wheeled scooter users, and cyclists. However, they are built on the principle of accessibility for everyone. For wheelchair users, the devices are accessible due to their reachable height. For your information, in Adelaide specifically, wheelchairs and four-wheeled scooters can be used everywhere by those who need them. On the road, four-wheeled scooters and wheelchairs use sidewalks as their traffic lanes. It's worth noting that sidewalks in Adelaide are not as high as those in Indonesia, measuring around 15-20 cm. Furthermore, some sections of sidewalks are made level with the road, allowing wheelchair and four-wheeled scooter users to easily transition onto the road or back onto the sidewalk.
For visually impaired individuals, these crossing aids feature a button with a raised arrow, as shown in the image. This raised arrow allows visually impaired individuals to identify the intended crossing direction. Additionally, the device emits two distinct sounds to indicate when to cross. The first sound, with a slightly slower tempo, indicates that road users should not yet cross. The second sound, with a faster tempo, indicates that road users may now cross. These two sounds enable visually impaired individuals to know when it is safe to cross.
Not only are sounds incorporated into these devices, but there are also pedestrian crossing lights installed below the traffic lights. These crossing lights are not just red or green circles like traffic lights; instead, they display a walking person symbol, making them distinguishable from regular traffic lights. If the red light is illuminated, road users are not permitted to cross. If the green light is illuminated, road users may cross. If the green light flashes, the crossing time is about to expire. In some locations, a visual countdown for crossing time is even provided. These visual lights enable hearing-impaired individuals to use these crossing aids.
Hoping for similar facilities to be provided in Indonesia is not an overstatement. However, to truly make it happen, it's not enough to just provide these aids; awareness among all road users of their rights and responsibilities is also needed. (MEN)
Editor: Muhammad Yesa Aravena