Bolivian traffic zebras

20 Jan 2019 662 Share

The drivers in La Paz, Bolivia, are infamous for ignoring the pedestrian walkways known as “zebra crossings” (striped crosswalks). To solve this problem the government came up with a novel approach that uses people dressed in full-body zebra costumes. The cebritas, as they are known, patrol the streets of La Paz in a playful way - they dance, gesture comically at drivers, and help pedestrians to safely cross the street. There are now over 300 of them, and by all accounts local drivers have grown more cautious and mannerly since they arrived. Perhaps even more important is that the mood on the streets has improved greatly due to the humour and humanity that they bring each day.

The program serves another valuable purpose as most of the cebritas are students from disadvantaged or troubled backgrounds. This gives them a chance to start over and feel like valuable members of society. In addition to their traffic duties, the cebritas visit schools and hospitals, appear in parades and are seen on television. There is even a project called Zebra for a Day that lets tourists and locals alike dress up as zebras and get a taste of the experience.
The cebritas won the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation, which recognizes cities and regions that use new approaches to improve public life. The award’s organizers commended La Paz for “Responding to a very serious challenge with great humour and understanding,” and they hoped the project might inspire “more civilized streets” around the world.
You can watch the cebritas in action on Youtube at this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsJu6tcMvXw

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