Advertisers deface street name boards in Trichy
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While the local body recently sanctioned Rs1 crore to improve existing public signage boards and add new name boards in prominent areas, activists cautioned against making additional investment without regulating violations.
The expensive boards have come under rampant vandalism from advertisers of late. To attract passersby, they stick wall posters including for political events on these boards. "Visitors to residential areas are struggling to reach their destinations without help as the street name boards are defaced.
Public money is getting wasted, the corporation must penalise advertisers," H Ghouse Baig, Khajamalai-based activist said.
The sign boards made of stainless steel poles and reflective blue stickers are erected as part of road relaying projects sanctioned under Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Fund (TURIF) scheme, smart cities mission fund, and corporation's general fund. Each of the 65 wards in five zones has between 20 and 122 prominent streets each.
While major roads have larger reflective sign boards, minor streets have smaller versions.
Erected at a cost of Rs12,000 to Rs30,000 each, the reflective blue signboards are written with the name of the road or street in white font in both Tamil and English.
Officials said the reflective stickers get permanently damaged while clearing the posters. In areas like Thennur and Crawford, the cleaning has rendered the signboards unusable.
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"We have provided free boards in all zones for advertisers to stick posters, but a section of them intentionally target the street name boards. The commissioner has instructed us to identify and penalise the offenders," a junior engineer said.
Residents and activists are sceptical about the Rs1 crore sanctioned in the city corporation budget for improving signage boards meeting its intended purpose. "We will penalise the offenders without any partiality," a senior corporation official said.
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