Traffic police have started getting serious about charging fines for jaywalkers in Beijing since Monday, after an almost one-month “buffer zone”, Beijing Times reported.

The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau announced the fine on April 8, but since then the police have mainly persuaded jaywalkers not to break the traffic rules again.

Pedestrians and bikers who run a red light or ignore a traffic coordinator's urging not to jaywalk will receive a 10-yuan fine ($1.6 dollars) from police when they reach the other side of the crossing. For drivers of non-motorised vehicles who make the same mistake, the fine will be 20 yuan ($3.22).