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Thứ Bảy, 31 tháng 8, 2013
FAS signs three-year sponsorship deal with Epson
The collaboration will see FAS being supplied with Epson products to utilise for footballing purposes as well as monetary resources to aid youth football development in Singapore
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has officiallly signed a three-year sponsorship worth about $1 million with Epson.
FAS president Zainudin Nordin was delighted to welcome Epson’s involvement in the sport, and said that such a move would only benefit the development of football within Singapore in a press conference at the Jalan Besar Stadium for the unveiling for the partnership.
“Today marks the day where we celebrate the partnership of two parties with a shared vision, that is to ensure the commitment to excellence and innovation. I am thrilled to welcome them [Epson] on board as an important partner in our pursuit to achieve football excellence in Singapore,” Zainudin said on Wednesday.
In addition to monetary resources, Zainudin also mentioned how Epson’s products will be provided for the FAS and that these equipment will revolutionise the football scene in Singapore, especially with the interactive projectors as coaches can use it to map out tactical strategies.
“Under the three-year sponsorship agreement, Epson will provide FAS with the latest office equipments to aid the development of local football in many areas, which include but are not limited to new E-learning boards in the form of interactive projectors and stadium projectors,” he added.
“I am pleased that coaches, players, as well as fans will benefit from this partnership. At FAS, we aim to provide the best environment possible to develop our young talents and this partnership with Epson will help us do just that.”
Epson Singapore managing director Koichi Endo shared that he was excited about Epson being a partner with FAS, as it may help them grow more renown as a brand and achieve their primary target of aiding youth football development.
“Today I am very proud to present Epson as we start this relationship with FAS,” he said.
“Epson has been closely involved in many sports sponsorship, as a way to improvement our branding, and to reach out to people through the excitement they (sports) bring.
“Therefore we are deeply honoured and grateful for this opportunity to assist in funding and applying our innovations to support the FAS in cultivating football excellence and nurturing Singapore’s next generation of footballers.”
Epson Singapore general manager Tan May Lin revealed that the sponsorship deal took only six months to be conceived and finalised due to the desire of both parties to further develop football at the youth level in Singapore.
“It was a meeting of minds, both Epson and FAS agree we have the same direction in terms of where we want to go, in terms of youth development,” she said.
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FAS signs three-year sponsorship deal with Epson
Indians are downsizing their travel dreams following a decline in the rupee
By
Maneesh Pandey
16:54 EST, 31 August 2013
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16:54 EST, 31 August 2013
The rupee is wrecking holiday plans. The declining value of Indian currency against the US dollar has begun to hurt the middle class.
It’s the money, honey, say one Delhi couple who have just seen their Indonesian honeymoon washed away by the paralysing effect of Manmohanomics.
The Kumars (name changed) had grand plans for a post-nuptial celebration in Bali as their honeymoon fell within their budget of Rs 1,25,000.
Impact: The decline in the rupee has caused middle-class travellers to rethink their holiday plans and opt for destinations closer to home
The Kumars had booked the trip three
months in advance. But because of the rupee’s free-fall, today they have
been forced to settle for the backwaters of Kerala.
“Their
budget has gone up by at least Rs 35,000-Rs 40,000. The middle class
travels with a fixed budget so they had to opt for a domestic
destination,” says Guldeep Sahni of Weldon Tours.
The current condition of the Indian rupee has forced many outbound
Indian travellers to change their vacation and travel plans over the
October to December period.
There
is already a 30 per cent dip in bookings compared to the business that
materialised last year in the same three peak travel months.
The worst affected are corporate incentive tours. Nearly 25 per cent have been postponed till the rupee improves.
Packages
Except for Australia and New Zealand, travel plans for destinations
where the US dollar and the euro are being quoted in holiday packages
are being affected, say travel agents and tour operators.
Alternative: Popular holiday destinations such as Goa have become a sought after alternative to Indians looking to get away from it all
“There are two categories of travel requests coming to those handling outbound circuits. One is from those who are sceptical about the future economic scenario and, wanting to defer their plans, have called for cancellations.
“I have got 12 such bookings cancelled, each having a family or a group of two to six persons or more,” says Sahni, adding, “The second is those who have not yet confirmed their plans. We’re calling them regularly… they’re closely watching the scenario and want the dollar-rupee situation to improve. There is an almost 30 per cent decline in bookings compared to what I got last year.”
There is worse still. Some travellers, who don’t have the option of getting their money back, are requesting travel agents to adjust their star category of hotels and reduce the durations of tours to make up for the rising travel cost.
This is true particularly of those who had planned to go to long-haul destinations; they are now negotiating with their travel agents to switch to cheaper destinations (closer to India) in Southeast Asia.
Manoj Mishra, who had booked a five-star package for Singapore and Malaysia worth Rs 75,000 per person for seven nights, had to settle for a four star package as that is what was available at the same price.
“I can’t change my family’s travel plans at this moment so I will settle for what falls within my budget,” Mishra said.
Travel agents have their eyes fixed on the currency converter. As says Raghuvinder Singh of D Pauls Travels: “Till the US dollar was hovering at Rs 62 booking and requests were coming. But once it touched Rs 65 to the dollar, they have stopped coming.
“We generally used to get a confirmed booking after three calls. Today, even after 10 to 15 calls, bookings are not materialising.”
Added Sahni: “The traveller is not clear. Blame it on the slump in the economy. Today only I got three calls, all different requests – one for South Africa asking me for a short-haul destination, another for Europe asking me to cancel and look for an Indian destination, and the third asking me to change the hotel star category to suit the pocket in a Far East destination.”
Affected the worse are the plans of corporate dealers and sales teams going for incentive tours overseas.
“Nearly 20 per cent to 25 per cent overseas corporate tours have been put on hold as these are large groups and their budgets, even if it goes down by 20 per cent, will cost lakhs of rupees,” says S K Dewan of Dewan Travels.
Rupee free-fall is boon for Indian hospitality industry
The flip side of the abysmal depreciation of India’s currency against the US dollar is that cash registers in the Indian hospitality business have started ringing with the sound of rupees.
Many middle-class Indians who have enjoyed holidays on foreign shores the past few years suddenly find the prospect of a vacation abroad unaffordable and are turning to the domestic option.
Hotel groups in India are happy with the surge in reservations by domestic tourists as well as from foreign visitors.
One Indian banker has cancelled a trip to Italy and will settle for five-star luxury in Goa. About 15 million Indians vacation abroad annually, says Reuters.
The free-falling rupee has helped along a 35 per cent surge in domestic tourism between January and June, according to industry body ASSOCHAM.
Travel companies in India see sense in mining this domestic surge. Thomas Cook’s over 800 tours within India have raised domestic enquiries for the winter by 15 per cent while other major players are also offering more destinations in the country as well as discounts.
The most popular tourist destinations – Goa, Agra, Jaipur and Pune – stand to benefit the most from the surge in domestic and foreign tourism.
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Indians are downsizing their travel dreams following a decline in the rupee
Foreign banks in Sarawak
by By Sharon Kong
bizhive@theborneopost.com. Posted on September 1, 2013, Sunday
Foreign banks have always had a long-standing presence in Sarawak, tapping into the many financial needs of growing industries and developing businesses here from days of long ago.
Banks such as Singapore’s Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd (OCBC Bank) and HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC) – headquartered in London – had opened its first branches in Kuching way back in the 1950s.
Meanwhile, newcomers into the state such Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC) – the world’s largest bank by market capitalisation and deposits – had just launched its first branch here earlier this year, serving as the East Malaysian regional branch in Kuching.
Another influential financial institution from China – Bank of China Ltd through its subsidiary Bank of China (Malaysia) Bhd – has also set foot in Kuching, Sarawak, but has yet to officially launch its operations to the public.
According to Investor Inside in its ‘Inside Sarawak 2013’ report, despite the stringent regulations that Sarawak employs for foreign branches, many overseas players play an expanding role in the state’s financial sector, which hosts local branches of 18 European, 10 Middle Eastern, 11 Asian and five North American banks.
With these locally-incorporated foreign banks opening up branches in Sarawak, one wonders what attracts these institutions to do so in the East Malaysian state.
For Malaysian financial institutions, the attractiveness lies in the bullish prospects of long-term growth within Sarawak’s retail and corporate banking segments, according to Inside Investor.
“The result is that while Kuala Lumpur remains the strategic hub for the sector, Sarawak is where these institutes move to flex their expansionary muscles,” it explained.
The same could be said for locally-incorporated foreign banks, more so as they will likely be presented with a wider array of banking-related business opportunities in line with the development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) .
Notably, foreign banks such as OCBC Bank’s subsidiary, OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd (OCBC Bank Malaysia), believe it is well positioned to serve SCORE with its current branches located in Kuching and Miri.
Healthy competition
The entry of foreign banks is not considered a major threat to the domestic banks in Sarawak, but more as a way to encourage healthy competition in the banking services market.
In fact, foreign banks constantly compete with top Malaysian banks such as Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) – headquartered in Kuala Lumpur – which maintain a strong and ever-expanding presence in Sarawak, according to Investor Inside.
RAM Holdings Bhd chief economist Dr Yeah Kim Leng once said that since Malaysian-owned banks had long been competing with the locally-incorporated foreign banks, opening the door wider to foreign banks should not pose a problem, although they would feel the competitive heat.
On whether foreign banks would take away Malaysian-owned banks’ market share, he said in a growing economy like Malaysia, it was more likely they would contribute to market expansion and add to the dynamism of the local banking industry.
“Besides generating jobs and demand for commercial space and other supporting services and facilities, the foreign banks could bring specialised services and attract talents to the Malaysian shore,” he added.
With that, BizHive Weekly takes a look at two foreign banks with branches in Sarawak and their future expansion plans within the state.
OCBC Bank serving the many industries of the state
OCBC Bank is the longest established Singapore bank, formed in 1932 from the merger of three local banks, the oldest of which was founded in 1912.
“It is now the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets, and one of the world’s most highly-rated banks, with an Aa1 rating from Moody’s.
“In addition, it was ranked by Bloomberg Markets as the world’s strongest bank in 2011 and 2012,” Jessie Lim, senior manager of the Kuching branch, for OCBC Bank Malaysia, highlighted to BizHive Weekly in an interview.
In Malaysia alone, OCBC Bank has a total of 41 branches – 31 conventional and 10 Islamic branches (through its Islamic banking subsidiary, OCBC Al-Amin).
“We are pleased to say that our Kuching branch remains one of the frontrunners in providing banking services to the Sarawak community,” Lim added.
After opening the Kuching branch, OCBC Bank progressively gained a foothold in the community for nearly 60 years.
In 2008, the Kuching branch was transformed to enhance its customers’ experience. This was in line with OCBC Bank’s nationwide transformation exercise.
Today, the bank is very much an integral part of Sarawak’s banking landscape. Its Miri branch became the second branch in Sarawak when it was established in 2006 as part of efforts to continue to serve the locals here through a full suite of consumer products as well as commercial banking services.
“Like Kuching, we saw and continue to see Miri as a community whose people are looking for more sophisticated products and services to help spur on their personal and business activities in order to achieve their aspirations.
“Beyond this, we recognised in Miri the potential to be another important hub from which to reach out to a broader community within the state of Sarawak,” Lim explained.
Generally, OCBC Bank sees Miri as a thriving locality. While it thrived mainly on the petroleum and timber industries in the 1900s, it has today diversified into other key sectors as well, such as agriculture – particularly palm oil – manufacturing and tourism.
“As such, we believe that with the bank’s presence here in Miri, it will help catalyse the growth of these industries through the provision of innovative financial services,” Lim opined.
With the opening of its branch in Miri seven years ago, the bank is now more accessible to both existing customers and those who have long wished to use its banking services, but might have found its Kuching branch a little far.
Beyond this, with the establishment of this hub, the bank sees itself serving an even broader community than that of Miri alone.
“For the immediate term, apart from Miri itself, we are looking to service customers in areas such as Bintulu, Limbang, Marudi and Sibu – previously considered too distant from us.
“The same applied for many years for Kuching, where we serviced other major towns from this base,” Lim said.
These areas are all populated by businesses with entrepreneurial and industrial vigour, in sectors ranging from oil and gas, oil palm plantation, and import and export.
As such, OCBC Bank is well poised to provide them with comprehensive financing solutions covering structured trade, equipment financing, working capital and operational services to facilitate their growth.
On the retail banking side, it hopes to continue to provide better payment and transactional convenience for its individual customers and introduce new lifestyle products to the masses.
Furthermore, with the expanding growth of the oil and gas and oil palm plantation sectors – coupled with the creation of new wealth – there is significant demand for wealth management solutions and services from the Miri community.
As a provider of wealth management services, the bank will now be better able to offer its full suite of products and services that might previously have been less accessible.
“In terms of specific numbers, our business loans base tends to be pretty much evenly divided between plantations, ship building and shipping, trading, manufacturing and services and as such, we will continue to focus on these areas,” Lim explained.
With the set-up of two branches, this allows OCBC Bank to reach out to its clients throughout the whole country by providing a seamless platform to cater to its clients’ financial needs and aspirations.
“Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) is very exciting to OCBC Bank and with our current set-up (in Kuching and Miri) we are well positioned to serve the Corridor.
“The bank is always looking to grow with our customer base and we will continue to review and assess the prevailing opportunities,” she added.
Overall, Sarawak is deemed a competitive market where both local and foreign banks are well entrenched with their strategies and client bases.
The consumer base in Sarawak is very discerning, well-travelled and able to discern value, and values long-term relationships and as such, it is where OCBC Bank thrives.
“We are pleased to say that with our strong foothold in Kuching, the people who bank with us have now entered the second and third generations.
“Our bank has grown together with these clients and we are pleased to have been able to cater to their needs and will continue to do so,” Lim concluded.
ICBC Bank: Newcomer in the scene
Although in the past, Chinese banks in Sarawak have had difficulties in coping with competition and have mostly resulted in mergers and acquisitions, it is unlikely that ICBC Malaysia will suffer the same fate as its predecessors, given the fact that it is a wholly owned subsidiary of ICBC – currently known as the world’s largest bank.
ICBC, which was officially established in 1984, had been wholly restructured to a joint-stock limited company in 2005. Not long after, it was successfully listed on both the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK) in 2006.
How it came to be the world’s largest listed bank in terms of market capitalisation, customer deposits and profitability, was mainly due to its continuous endeavor and stable development.
“With a focus on the acceleration of operational transformation, the bank has realised capital-saving development and sustainable profit growth featuring diversified operation.
“In 2012, the bank had realised a net profit of 238.7 billion renminbi, representing an increase of 14.5 per cent over the previous year,” ICBC chairman Jiang Jianqing reiterated.
From its overseas institutions alone, the bank had achieved a 21.8 per cent increase in profit before tax, giving better play to the role of globalised operation in stabilising profit and dispersing risks.
ICBC’s presence currently spans over the five continents of Asia, Africa, Europe, America, and Australia, with operations in 39 countries and regions.
The bank provides comprehensive financial products and services to 4.38 million corporate customers and close to 400 million personal customers by virtue of its distribution network consisting of over 17,000 domestic institutions, 383 overseas institutions, and over 1,700 correspondent banks worldwide.
It also does so through its e-banking network, comprising a range of internet and telephone banking services, and self-service banking centres.
According to Jiang, the bank has to date, actively put in efforts to serve the economic and trade relations between China and the rest of the world, meet the financial demand of customers across the globe, and promote business development on a global scale.
By being the first amongst peers in China to finish the building of a globally integrated technology platform, and through strengthening the extension of key product lines and interactions between domestic and overseas operations, the bank has enhanced the localisation of the operation of its overseas institutions and the capability of its global services.
As such, this makes ICBC one of the few banks capable of providing comprehensive financial services across the entrie Asian region, with its group operations network covering Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea, the Middle East and Central Asia.
In Malaysia alone, via its wholly owned subsidiary ICBC Malaysia which was established in 2010, ICBC currently has a total of five branches, including the Kuching branch.
ICBC Malaysia saw the first operation in Kuching as a gateway to further expand throughout the state and into Sabah.
In fact, the establishment of the ICBC East Malaysia regional bank in Kuching is expected to further enhance the economic and trade ties between Malaysia and China.
Sarawak’s economic stability is one of the main reasons that attracted ICBC Malaysia to setup its East Malaysia regional branch here in Kuching that will oversee the Sarawak and Sabah operations.
ICBC Malaysia chief executive officer (CEO) Tian Fenglin foresaw Sarawak to be the next development centre in Malaysia by 2020 and remained confident the economic boom here would give the group a vast opportunity within the financing cycle.
In addition, he pointed out that there are many Chinese entrepreneurs in East Malaysia who have a lot of active transactions in China.
However, the bank is not limiting itself to just the capital of Sarawak here. While strengthening its footprint in Kuching, it is also eyeing to set up branches in most of the cities and towns throughout Sarawak and Sabah.
Overall, since the establishment of ICBC Malaysia more than three years ago, the group has reported steady growth over the past three years with products, services, loans and deposits all improving positively.
As at the end of 2012, ICBC Malaysia’s assets stood at over RM3 billion, while deposits and profits stood at RM800 million and RM20 million, respectively.
Gauging the increasing presence of foreign banks in Malaysia — BNM
According to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in the Financial Stability and Payment Systems Report 2012, the sizeable presence of foreign banks in the Malaysian banking sector has contributed to a more efficient and competitive market while enhancing the breadth and depth of the financial sector.
“In 2012, two new foreign commercial banks commenced operations in Malaysia, increasing the total number of foreign commercial banks operating in the country to 19,” BNM added.
On the whole, the Malaysian financial system has long been home to foreign-owned banking institutions, with foreign banks being pioneers in the development of the Malaysian financial system more than a hundred years ago.
According to BNM, the oldest bank in Malaysia was a foreign bank that was established to meet the financial requirements of the early European traders. Over time, other major foreign banks followed suit as the strong prospects for growth in trade drew keen interest in establishing presence in Malaysia.
The report also highlighted that since then, foreign banks have become key players that contribute significantly to Malaysia’s economy. Today, foreign banks account for approximately 27 per cent of market share in the assets of the banking sector.
Several foreign banks with a sizeable presence in Malaysia have also acknowledged Malaysia’s growth potential and connectivity with other economies, and as such, have positioned Malaysia as a priority market within the Asia-Pacific region.
Expansion flexibilities
In Malaysia itself, foreign banks have been accorded operational flexibilities to expand their network through electronic channels, agent banking and the establishment of a further number of physical branches.
“This has thus enabled the foreign banks to have an important role in the financial intermediation process and contribute to the functioning and growth of the economy.
“Moving forward, similar to domestic banks, foreign banks will be allowed to expand their branches more freely, while maintaining a balanced distribution of branch locations by all banks to support the needs of the underserved areas.
“This would be implemented with measures to further accelerate the development of alternative delivery channels which would promote greater convenience and efficiency in the provision of financial services to consumers,” BNM explained in the report.
Safety measures
With an increasing number of foreign banks entering the local financial sector, BNM has ensured that the pace of cross-border cooperation in surveillance and supervision has also subsequently intensified over the last few years.
According to BNM, Malaysia proactively collaborates with home country supervisory authorities to ensure that pre-emptive actions can be taken to preserve financial stability in the event of an imminent shock.
This includes developing arrangements for information exchange and supervisory cooperation through memoranda of understanding, as well as participating in supervisory colleges relating to these internationally-active banks.
Overall, these efforts are consistent with the broad principles recommended by the Financial Stability Board on cross-border cooperation in the management of financial crises.
Given Malaysia’s liberalised approach to its financial sector, it is only expected that we will continue to see an influx of foreign-owned banks in the coming years.
Foreign banks in Sarawak
Montgomery police ticket pedestrians obeying the law
Pedestrians
Montgomery police ticket pedestrians obeying the law
Montgomery County police are finally paying attention to the needs of pedestrians. But officers on the beat don’t seem to have gotten the message yet. Pedestrians have even been ticketed for crossing the street in a legal manner.
Photo by Kate Mereand-Sinha on Flickr.
In May, the county’s police department held their first “sting” targeting drivers who don’t stop at crosswalks. Just last week, when a student was hit by a fast-moving driver while crossing Veirs Mill Road, the police told TV stations that mid-block crossings are allowed at that location. This is a sharp reversal from the past, when the police would sometimes say a collision occurred outside a crosswalk without explaining that it’s legal to cross there.
But last week, a GGW reader in Bethesda spoke with an officer who was ticketing drivers making a forbidden turn into a residential neighborhood, but ignoring speeding violations on a street where many walk. Roads are made for cars, not pedestrians, she was told. The officer said that those on foot have a claim to safety in crosswalks only when drivers are kept away by red lights.
And earlier this month in Silver Spring, another GGW reader saw officers ticket pedestrians who were obeying the law. They were crossing Georgia Avenue mid-block between two intersections that don’t have traffic lights. This is perfectly legal, as long as the pedestrian yields the right of way to oncoming cars. The same officers ignored genuine violations by drivers, who failed repeatedly to stop for people walking in the adjacent unmarked crosswalks.
The Georgia Avenue sting took place on August 13 between Fenwick Lane and Planning Place. Neither of these intersections has a stoplight. Under Maryland law, unmarked crosswalks exist at both intersections, but motorists seem unaware of that fact. When drivers don’t know these crosswalks exist, and police don’t try to educate the drivers, there’s little reason for pedestrians to use them.
Green lines indicate marked crosswalks. Blue lines are unmarked crosswalks. The orange line is where ticketed pedestrians were crossing.
The distance between the nearest signalized intersections, located at Cameron Street and Spring Street, is 849 feet. The walk from halfway between the traffic lights to the signal and back takes 4 minutes. That is a lot of time to add to a short trip; traffic engineers consider an intersection “failing” when drivers are delayed by 80 seconds. Georgia Avenue is lined with offices, apartments, restaurants and shops, so many pedestrians take the most direct route, as is their legal right.
What’s the law?
Maryland law is very clear about where pedestrians can and cannot cross. And the Silver Spring sting occurred where it is legal to cross.
First, let’s look at how crosswalks are defined in Maryland. The Maryland Transportation Code section 21-101 includes definitions for the terms relevant to transport. A crosswalk is defined as
that part of a roadway that is:
- Within the prolongation or connection of the lateral lines of sidewalks at any place where 2 or more roadways of any type meet or join, measured from the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the roadway;
- Within the prolongation or connection of the lateral lines of a bicycle way where a bicycle way and a roadway of any type meet or join, measured from the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the roadway; or
- Distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings.
While the third point may seem obvious, the first point is important to note. Any place where a street with sidewalks intersects another street, those sidewalks “extend” across the intersection, whether or not the department of transportation has put paint down.
And while it’s not directly relevant to this discussion, Maryland law also defines “sidewalk”. It doesn’t have to be a paved area. Even when a traditional concrete sidewalk is not present, crosswalks still exist at every intersection.
But pedestrians aren’t required to cross only at crosswalks, either. Section 21-503 explains what their rights are:
- In general.—If a pedestrian crosses a roadway at any point other than in a marked crosswalk or in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, the pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching on the roadway.
- Where special pedestrian crossing provided.—If a pedestrian crosses a roadway at a point where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing is provided, the pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching on the roadway.
- Between adjacent intersections.—Between adjacent intersections at which a traffic control signal is in operation, a pedestrian may cross a roadway only in a marked crosswalk.
- Crossing intersection diagonally.—A pedestrian may not cross a roadway intersection diagonally unless authorized by a traffic control device for crossing movements. If authorized to cross diagonally, a pedestrian may cross only in accordance with the traffic control device.
Let’s break this down. Pedestrians are allowed to cross at places other than crosswalks in certain circumstances. When crossing outside of a marked or unmarked crosswalk, pedestrians must yield the right-of-way to motorists.
Paragraph C is also important. It’s illegal for pedestrians to cross a street when both adjacent intersections are signalized. Otherwise, it’s okay to cross, so long as you yield to drivers.
The stretch of Georgia Avenue where Montgomery County police ticketed pedestrians does have two stoplights, at Cameron Street and Spring Street. But between them are two intersections without signals, at Fenwick Lane and Planning Place. That means this stretch is broken into 3 blocks, and it is perfectly legal to cross any any point in this stretch.
As a counter-example, take the block of Georgia between Ellsworth Drive and Colesville Road, in front of the Discovery Channel headquarters. Both of those intersections are signalized, and there are no intermediate intersections. Therefore, it is illegal to cross mid-block there.
Law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks
There are a few other laws that are noteworthy. Under section 21-502(c), it is illegal for any motorist to pass a driver stopped at a marked or unmarked crosswalk to allow a pedestrian to cross.
Section 21-502(a)(2) deals with when drivers must yield. In Maryland, waiting on the sidewalk is not enough. A pedestrian does not assert his or her right to cross until they step off the curb into the crosswalk. However, once the pedestrian steps into the crosswalk, they have the right-of-way on that half of the street, and they gain it on the other half when they step into the adjacent lane.
That means that if I’m crossing Georgia Avenue from west to east in a crosswalk, once I step into the southbound parking lane, the two southbound lanes must yield. Once I step into the leftmost southbound lane, northbound traffic must yield. I’ve found that a handy way to remind drivers to stop without endangering myself, when I’m walking to the grocery store, is to reach forward and wave my shopping bag in the next lane, but wait until the car begins to slow before I walk in front of it.
However, section 21-502(b) does make it illegal for a pedestrian to step out in front of a vehicle whose driver would not have time to stop. So although you ordinarily have the right-of-way at marked and unmarked crosswalks, you must let drivers pass first if they are too close to stop.
These laws set the basic framework for walkers, cyclists, and motorists to share Maryland roadways. With diligent and even-handed enforcement, we can have safer streets and more livable neighborhoods.
Montgomery police ticket pedestrians obeying the law
Delhi gang rape: Court finds juvenile guilty of rape and murder
Eight-and-a-half months after a young paramedical student was gang-raped in a moving bus here, the first punishment was handed out when a juvenile court ruled that an 18-year-old, who was claimed by the police to be the ‘most brutal’ of all the six accused, be confined to a reform home for three years. The youth, who was then a minor but turned 18 in June, was not named. The first judgement in the case, however, left the family members of the victim angry, who said they wanted harsher punishment for him.
The maximum punishment that can be awarded under the Juvenile Justice Act in India is three years. The Juvenile Justice Board, presided over by Principal Magistrate Geetanjali Goel, pronounced the verdict and convicted the 18-year-old for gang rape, murder and other charges. The board, however, acquitted him of some of the charges for which he was booked. Details were not disclosed as media was not allowed inside the court. The minor was also acquitted from attempt to murder charges of victims’ male friend and the sole eye witness of the case.
The prosecution has called the minor, as the ‘most brutal of the six’. He was the one who had called the victim and her male friend to the bus on Dec 16 night by giving them wrong information. He along with five other men had gangraped the girl in the moving bus and had then thrown both of them out – without clothes – on the streets in the cold December night.
The police had said that apart from sexually assaulting the 23-year-old physiotherapist trainee, the minor had also ripped out her internal organs with a rod. The girl died later. The brutal gang rape sparked massive protests in New Delhi and other cities, with people demanding death for the accused persons. The board refused to reveal all the charges for which the minor accused had been convicted and acquitted. After the order was announced, the victims entire family – father, mother and two brothers – said they were happy.
‘We are not satisfied with the verdict,’ the victim’s mother said with tears in her eyes. ‘If minors do such things and get away so easily, how will the law work? It cannot be done like this. We will move the higher court against the judgment,’ she said.
The father of victim also expressed his dissatisfaction over the verdict. ‘Our daughter has died and now after listening to this verdict we also have virtually died. This will only encourage the crime,’ the father said. ‘I was hoping that the juvenile accused will be given life imprisonment, but he was given only three years (in special home,’ said the victim’s father. ‘The court by giving a lighter punishment of three years has actually encouraged the other juveniles to commit crime. The law must be changed.
The board also said that a period of around eight months that the minor has spent in juvenile observation home will be deducted from his punishment of three years in the special or reform home. The minor’s lawyer said his conduct at special home will be observed and the sentence would be reviewed. ‘The board will observe his conduct during his stay in reform home and can review its sentence order and there is a possibility that he could come out early,’ Rajesh Tiwari, advocate of juvenile, told reporters. As the gang rape had hit international headlines and raised concerns about women’s safety in the country, the area around the board was packed with media persons, onlookers and activists. More than 150 media persons from national and international newspapers and television channels had gathered from early morning to cover the case.
The board was to pronounce its verdict at 10 a.m. in the morning but it came only at 3.30 p.m.
After the order was pronounced, some protestors raised slogans outside the board and sought death penalty for the minor.
Shouting ‘hang the rapist’, the protesters expressed their displeasure on the ‘lighter punishment’ they thought the minor has got.
But child rights activists said the minor should get a chance to re-integrate with society.
Shireen Vakil Miller, director of Save the Children, said: ‘The most important step is to ensure that there is a comprehensive rehabilitation package for the juvenile that includes counseling, and a provision for vocational training. This would help the juvenile to re-integrate into the society once he has completed his sentence.’
A native of Uttar Pradesh, the minor had moved to Delhi at the age of 11 and was doing odd jobs. He was arrested after the incident from Anand Vihar in east Delhi as he was trying to flee to his village in Uttar Pradesh.
Six people, including the minor, were arrested in the case. While accused Ram Singh, Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur faced trial in fast track court in Saket in south Delhi, the juvenile’s case was heard by the board.
The case against Ram Singh was dropped after he was found dead, hanging in his cell in Tihar Jail.
Meanwhile, a special fast-track court dealing with the trial of the four men accused in the case is hearing the closing arguments and the verdict is expected soon. The fact that the juvenile gets only three years in a reform facility will surely cause outrage but that’s the maximum penalty for juveniles but the SC ruled that there was no question of reducing the juvenile age.
The reason behind this is that the age of juvenile in India is set at 18 years by the Juvenile Justice Act of 2000 to conform to the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child. This would mean that all juvenile offences would be tried by the Juvenile Justice Board and not the regular courts. This is done because juvenile criminals were often treated as harshly as adults and would turn into hardened criminals. This act looked to end child labour, reform marriageable age and improve the lives of children throughout the country. The act was passed only after consulting psychologists, legal experts and others but it seems that it has failed us badly. The law left many loopholes which would be exploited time and again. (Is it time to change our juvenile laws?)
While the SC has considered a PIL where the plea is to grant discretionary powers to trial judges to transfer a minor’s case to regular courts after considering the nature of the crime, civil and child rights activists warn of repercussions if the law is modified. ‘Sending to prison minors who commit crimes because of the circumstances they grow up in would only turn them into hardened criminal,’ Flavia Agnes of Majlis told TOI. ‘It is no solution to reduce crimes against women. We must examine the issue dispassionately and be kinder as a society and considerate towards children.’
Delhi Gang Rape Timeline
Dec 16: A 23-year-old physiotherapy student is brutally raped in a bus in Delhi. Victim admitted to Safdarjung Hospital by the police.
Dec 17: Bus driver Ram Singh and two others arrested.
Dec 18: Public sentiment boils over leading to huge demonstrations as protesters clash with police at various places. Fourth accused arrested.
Dec 19: Doctors treating the girl comment about her unstable condition though she manages to communicate with docs by writing.
Dec 20: Students of various universities protest outside CM Sheila Dixit’s residence
Dec 21: The fifth accused, a juvenile is arrested and one of the culprits is identified by the victim’s male friend in Tihar. Delhi Police starts search operation in Haryana and Bihar for another accused. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital chairman offers victim free intestinal transplant, an offer which is considered a publicity stunt by many since the victim’s not stable enough for one
Dec 23: Delhi High Court sets up fast track court
Dec 24: PM Manmohan Singh requests people to keep calm and suffers a major faux paus as he’s heard off-camera asking people Thik Hai?
Dec 26: Government decides to fly victim to Singapore for further treatment which raises questions about whether she would survive the journey and why she wasn’t taken to a better facility in Delhi like AIIMS which is just around the corner.
Dec 27: She’s airlifted to Singapore
Dec 29: She succumbs to her injuries at 4:45 AM
Dec 30: Her body is flown back to Delhi
Jan 1: Special task-force to deal with women’s safety in Delhi icreated
Jan 3: A case of rape, murder, kidnapping, destruction of evidence, and attempted murder on the male victim is filed against all the five accused in the case.
Jan 5: Her friend gives an interview to Zee News which documents their ordeal including public and police apathy to their plight
Jan 9: The accused demand legal representation; lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma fights their case
Jan 10: Sharma declares victims were responsible for their predicament.
Jan 28: The Juvenile Justice Board declares that one of the six accused is a minor despite no strong evidence to suggest it. Age-testing is ruled out.
Feb 3: The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013, with suggestions from the Verma Committee Report introduced.
Feb 5: The trial starts
March 11: The main accused, Ram Singh is found hanging in his jail cell that he shared with two other accused.
April 4: One of the accused claims Tihar guards harassing him
April 11: Vinay’s counsel claims two of the accused were not present on the bus
May 1: Defence harasses male friend by claiming he’s a womaniser
May 10: Vinay and Akshay’s advocate AP Singh asks for male friend to undergo polygraph test
June 4: Juvenile accused turns 18 according to school certificate
July 11: Juvenile board defers judgement till July 25 to decide whether to try the minor in the case as an adult or a minor.
July 18: Supreme Court refuses to reduce the juvenile age to 16
August 31: Juvenile found guilty of rape and murder.
Delhi gang rape: Court finds juvenile guilty of rape and murder
Road closures for this year"s F1 race will occur over 6 days
Road closures in preparation for this year’s Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix will take place over six days – a time frame similar to previous years, according to the race organiser and authorities.
- PHOTOS
A general view of the lighted circuit for the F1 Singapore Grand Prix night race in Singapore. (AFP PHOTO/FILES/ROSLAN RAHMAN)
SINGAPORE: Road closures in preparation for this year’s Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix will take place over six days – a time frame similar to previous years, according to the race organiser and authorities.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA), Singapore GP and the Singapore Tourism Board said in a joint statement on August 29 that affected roads will be closed from 12 midnight on September 18 to facilitate the set up of the night race.
The authorities have urged the public to use public transport during the period of road closures. For those driving, they can access the Marina Centre area through a single-lane road from Nicoll Highway and Temasek Boulevard at selected times.
During the race weekend, between September 20 and 22, train services will be increased to cope with higher demand, with operating hours extended until 1am. Operating hours for selected feeder bus services will also be extended to match the last train services.
When the race is completed, affected roads will reopen progressively, and all roads will be fully accessible by 5.30am on September 24. More information is available at the LTA and MyTransport.SG websites.
Details of roads closures for Singapore Grand Prix – LTA
(PDF 3.25MB)
Road closures for this year"s F1 race will occur over 6 days
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