Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Illegal signboards confuse motorists

Thiruvananthapuram: Office-bearers of residents’ associations have accused a section of traders of putting up “no-parking” traffic signboards on their own at designated parking areas near busy commercial areas in the city.

Motorists often desist from parking in these areas, believing that the signboards are genuine and have been put up by the traffic police. Many of these “unauthorised” signboards carry advertisements of textile and jewellery shops. A section of traders conveniently used the boards for cost-free advertisement and also to prevent parking in front of their establishments.

It is often difficult for citizens to distinguish between genuine traffic signboards and the bogus ones as both carry city traffic police logos. A residents’ association office-bearer alleged that certain corrupt elements in the traffic police and some advertisement firms were benefiting from the racket.

Bogus traffic signboards are plenty along the left side of the Palayam Juma Masjid-Pattom Thanu Pillai Square road. The boards are meant to discourage shoppers bound for the Palayam market and the faithful arriving for prayers at the mosque from parking their vehicles along the recently widened stretch.

A police official said most of the no-parking signboards were put up by private persons without police consent. He said the police lacked funds to erect traffic signboards on their own and had to often look for private sponsorship.

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