Whether changing or missing, street name signs are always in the news.
Articles highlighting the absence of traffic signs, affecting the broader spectrum of Newcastle’s suburbs, are numerous.
Last year, the debacle around renaming of streets also fired up.
In the last couple of months, however, the focus has changed to damaging of street name signs, with Paterson Street the hardest hit.
Most recently, a wipeout at the Sutherland Street intersection left signage askew.
Earlier in the year, a new name sign at the crossing of Paterson and Allen Streets was destroyed, in what is believed to be an act of vandalism.
Officials have stated this is not an uncommon occurrence.
Chief Traffic Official at Protection Services, Ashok Anandhaw said the vandalism of road traffic signs happened regularly, especially on weekends.
However, there is no municipal policy on sign maintenance, per se.
“Traffic officers on patrol report missing or damaged signs, whereby the Traffic Technician section rectifies the problem.”
Officer Anandhaw said the CCTV camera system and keen-eyed residents, were helping to bring sign-wreckers to book.
Other times, signs were damaged in crashes or due to weathering.
“Anyone with information regarding vandalised or missing road traffic signs can contact the Protection Services control room on 034 328 4700,” he concluded.
Residents are urged to exercise vigilance in this regard – consider an ambulance rushing to save a life, only to get lost finding the right street.
It could be someone you know.
