Council may micro-chip road signs to stop theft

Cork County Council is considering micro-chipping some road signs in an effort to stop metal thieves stealing them and putting motorists’ lives at risk.

Council officials have also been urged to replace metal signs with heavy duty plastic ones — which would have no scrap value.

The issue was debated in County Hall yesterday after a spate of sign thefts in the county, including some chevron warning signs erected as a safety measure after a young man lost his life in a traffic accident in the Glanmire area.

Cllr Gerry Kelly said the county manager should also write to scrap merchants asking them not to accept road signs. He further suggested the council should use covert CCTV cameras to identify the thieves.

The Fine Gael councillor said he believed the signs were being taken at night and urged the public to immediately report any suspicious activity to gardaí.

“It’s an epidemic and we need to address it,” he said.

Cllr Noel Costello (Lab) agreed it is serious as ‘Stop’ and ‘Yield/Right Of Way’ signs are being taken which is putting motorists’ lives in serious danger.

“We should consider using fibreglass or plastic signs instead, which will have no value. Scrap metal will always have a value during a recession,” Cllr Costello said.

He found widespread support from colleagues when he said the council should write to the Government urging it to adopt legislation which was recently introduced in Britain.

“Just before Christmas they introduced a new law there where no scrap dealer can pay out cash,” he said.

Money has to be directly paid to a person’s account, thus making them traceable.

Cllr Kevin Murphy (FG) claimed up to 50 cast iron road signs and heritage signs had been stolen recently in the Kinsale area.

Cllr Noel O’Connor (FG) said microchips should be placed on some signs, especially as such tracking devices don’t cost a fortune.

And Cllr Dan Fleming (FF) said the signs should be welded on instead of bolted.

County manager Martin Riordan said the theft of safety warning signs was particularly serious.

He made a personal appeal to the thieves to desist because they might have it on their conscience if somebody was killed as a result of their actions.

The manager agreed the council should urge Government to introduce new legislation for scrap metal merchants. In the meantime Mr Riordan said: “We will try our best to outwit these thieves.”

Tom Stritch, the council’s director of road services, said the replacement of signs must be met from the already depleted road maintenance fund.

He warned it would leave less resources available for carrying out drainage works on roads and filling potholes.