Repeated theft of flashing speed warning sign batteries condemned as 'absolute disgrace'

Tipperary County Council now considering alternative measures to the signs to reduce motorists speeds

The repeated theft of batteries from flashing speed warning signs in rural villages was condemned as an “absolute disgrace” at a Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District meeting, which heard the Council is now considering alternative road safety measures to the signs.

Fine Gael Cllr Mark Fitzgerald vented his anger at the thieves who steal the batteries after District Engineer Michael Scully informed councillors the local authority is examining introducing “alternative solutions” to these flashing warning signs due to the repeated thefts.

Mr Scully told the district’s monthly meeting last Thursday that these batteries were valuable to certain people and the theft of them was an issue across the county.

He said no sooner were new batteries installed to replace stolen ones and they too were stolen.

“We now have to look at alternative solutions,” he said.

The issue was first raised at the meeting by Labour Cllr Michael ‘Chicken’ Brennan who highlighted how one flashing warning sign has been without batteries for over 15 months and local residents couldn’t understand why new batteries weren’t being installed.

He told Council management he would sooner see the signs taken down if batteries weren’t going to be put back into them.

After Mr Scully explained the repeated nature of these thefts, Cllr Fitzgerald said the thefts were an “absolute disgrace” and “so infuriating”.

He said councillors and the Council tried to work together over the last number of years to slow traffic passing through villages and this was all undermined within the space of 30 seconds by these thieves.

He pointed out that the battery thieves were also damaging the signs when they stole the batteries and claimed as much as €6,000 damage was caused to some signs.

The Cloneen councillor said he knew flashing warning signs weren’t the full solution to reducing traffic speed but they were making a difference by making motorists conscious of putting their foot on the brakes and slowing down.

He didn’t know how the Council was going to solve the problem and acknowledged it was very hard for the Council to keep replacing stolen batteries.