Damaged street name boards cause confusion in Perambur

CHENNAI: Several street name boards in different parts of Perambur are either damaged, missing or hidden behind shops. This causes great difficulty for not only residents of the area but also delivery agents, visitors and newcomers.

In Ward 71 of Zone 6, several street name boards are damaged. Patel Road 1st and 2nd Cross Streets, Srinivasan Cross Street, School Road and Ramachandran Street are among the affected areas. While some boards are broken, others are missing.

The name board on Meenakshi Street was installed facing the wrong direction. Further, the board on Venkataraman Canal Street carries an incorrect PIN code of 600012 instead of 600011 (the correct one). In Ward 44 of Zone 4, boards on Muniyappan Street and Kandan Street, along the route from Perambur towards Madhavaram High Road, are completely hidden by shops.

Activist Raghukumar Choodamani said, “Incorrect PIN codes should be rectified and the damaged boards should be repaired at the earliest. Officials should also check whether newly installed boards are placed in the right direction.”

Some boards installed a year ago have also been damaged by heavy vehicles taking turns. The iron poles supporting the boards are rusted, while some have broken.

A resident, Santhosh, said that Patel Road was frequented by rental cars and delivery agents every day. “The absence of a name board on Patel Road 1st Cross Street makes it difficult for them to locate the address. Particularly at night, people who book cabs or order food often have to go outside and search for the correct location,” he stated

A senior Corporation official told DT Next the tender process for replacing the street name boards had been completed and a contractor was appointed. “Work will begin within the next 10 days, and all the boards will be replaced by the end of this month.”

Another official said that steps would be taken to “relocate shops that obstruct the visibility of street name boards”.