Thieves and vandals target road signs

By TOM GILMORE VISITORS to North and East Galway who are not familiar with the roads are being put in danger of having serious accidents by people vandalising and sometimes stealing road signs according to a Co Councillor Ml Connolly. The incidents are becoming more widespread and they are not confined to small rural roads, but on major routes as well, according to Cllr Connoly who says those responsible must be brought to justice. [private] He says it is only a matter of time before somebody suffers serious or even fatal injuries in an accident as a result of directional and speed signs on busy routes such as the N63 between Lackagh and Longford, which is also the Tuam-Dublin route, being interfered with. 'Yield right-of-way and stop signs are being sprayed over by the vandals while others are being stolen, broken or twisted around to face in the wrong direction. 'These incidents are happening too often to put them down to being isolated pranks and I am calling on anyone who knows the identity of people engaged in the defacing, removal and damage to road signs to report them to the Gardai and County Council,' says Cllr Connolly. 'This is a danger to the public and all road users but in particular visitors to the Co Galway area,' he added. Cllr Connolly says that the Clooncalliga Junction on the N63 is one such example where every sign has been damaged or removed a least once a year, and the green bollards, which indicate to motorists where the junction is, are pulled up and thrown into a drain each time they are put in place by the Co Council road staff. But it is not only on the N63 that this is happening as other signs have been pulled down, sprayed over or smashed in the Corofin and Ballyglunin areas and it has happened time after time, which suggests that the same thugs are doing this in different areas according to the councillor. 'This is mindless and disgraceful activity by thugs who continue to engage in this type of dangerous anti-social behaviour and they need to be brought to justice,' concluded Cllr Connolly. [/private]