La Paz traffic zebras facts for kids
The La Paz traffic zebras are a special group of "urban educators" in Bolivia. They wear fun zebra costumes! These "zebras" are young people who work for the city government. Their main job is to help calm traffic and teach everyone about road safety.
This unique program started in La Paz, Bolivia. It has become very popular and has even spread to other cities in Bolivia.
How the Zebra Program Started
The La Paz traffic zebra program began in 2001. It was created because traffic in the city was getting very busy. Many people were moving from the countryside to cities, which meant more cars on the roads.
A person named Antanas Mockus helped design the program. He had started a similar program with mimes in another city, Bogotá. The idea for "zebras" came from "zebra crossings," which are the white stripes on the road where people cross. The city thought that using humor and friendly zebras would be a good way to teach drivers and pedestrians about safety. They believed people might listen better to a funny zebra than to a police officer.
When the program first started, there were only 24 zebras. Each zebra costume was so big that two people had to wear it! These early zebras helped direct traffic using whistles and flags. As the program grew, the costumes were changed to fit just one person. This made it easier for the zebras to move around. Their methods also changed to focus more on humor and encouraging good behavior.
What the Zebras Do
The traffic zebra program helps young people who might need extra support or job opportunities. These young people work part-time for the La Paz city government. They get two months of training, are paid, and receive health insurance. The program also helps them by offering classes, mentors, and training for future jobs. There's even a "Zebra for a Day" program where locals and tourists can try being a traffic zebra!
Zebras encourage safe driving at crosswalks and traffic lights. Sometimes they do funny things, like lying on the hood of a car that stops in a crosswalk. They also hand out leaflets and help direct traffic. Their mission has grown to include teaching about other important topics. These include recycling, saving water, reducing noise, and stopping bullying. You can see the zebras at schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and even on TV shows and at street festivals.
By 2017, over 3,000 young people had worked as zebras. More than 250 young people join the program each year. Other cities like Tarija, Sucre, and El Alto also have zebra programs. This means more than 400 zebras are working at any time!
The Zebras' Impact
The city of La Paz recognized the traffic zebras as an important cultural symbol in 2014. UNESCO, a big international organization, also honored them in 2015. In 2016, they won an award for making cities safer and easier to get around.
A children's book about the La Paz traffic zebras was published in 2018. It's called "Mateo and the Zebra who was Looking for a Crosswalk." The zebras themselves have even performed a play based on this story. There's also a national TV show called "The Z" that shows the life of a young man who works as a traffic zebra.
In 2017, the zebras were even featured on the American TV show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. He talked about how they help traffic in La Paz. Later, in 2020, John Oliver worked with the United States Postal Service to release a sheet of stamps that included the zebras!
See also
- Crossing guard
- Zebra crossing
