Traffic police considering fibre to tackle metal thieves

Cops ask civic body to replace metal signboards with those made of fibre to prevent thefts

Traffic police considering fibre to tackle metal thieves

Cops ask civic body to replace metal signboards with those made of fibre to prevent thefts

The traffic police have asked the civic body to replace metal traffic signboards and poles with those made of fibre to prevent them from getting stolen. The issue was raised at a recent traffic coordination committee meeting where the cops and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials discussed the problem of thieves who stole metal signboards for their resale value.

Sign of the times: A traffic signage made of metal erected on a road in
the city. Such signs are stolen by thieves for their resale value.
Pic/Krunal Gosavi

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Vishwas Pandhare pointed out that anti-social elements were stealing the signs and selling them in black market. "Metal boards and poles have a good resale value which is the primary reason behind the menace. This is causing lot of inconvenience to people and the traffic police. It would be good if the problem is tackled at the earliest," he said.

A traffic official said there had been 10 cases of thefts of metal signboards in the last three months.
Another option suggested by the police was to paint the signs on walls near roads or wherever possible. A PMC official requesting anonymity said the authority would have to carry out a detailed survey of the various spots in the city to make the changes. "We are considering the proposal and will take a call soon. What compounds the problem is that the poles cannot be welded since they might need to be shifted from one place to another," said the official.

Srinivas Bonala, additional city engineer, said it was the duty of all the ward offices to maintain the traffic signs. "The ward offices coordinate with the local traffic police and put up the signs. It is a mammoth task and will require a consolidated effort. We have taken cognizance of the issue and will take a call soon," said Bonala.