A city bus signage in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 30: Twenty signages installed in various parts of the city to facilitate the bus service have been stolen in the past two months.

The places from where the signposts were stolen include Sai temple, Airport Square, Aiginia, Sainik School Square and DAV Pokhariput Square. A single signage costs between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 depending on its size.

When the thefts were first reported, then commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Vishal Dev, had sent an official letter intimating police about the disappearance of the signages.

The corporation has planned to erect 246 signages in various parts of the city and its outskirts to demarcate the bus stops. So far, the civic body has erected 168 signposts.

The boards are expected to ease traffic congestion, as most of the time, residents complain that the city buses tend to stop anywhere to pick passengers creating traffic problems. Without the signboards, the passengers are forced to face inconvenience.

“If there is a proper stoppage, we board the bus from there. In the absence of such posts, we do not know where to wait for the bus. The authorities must ensure that all stoppages are demarcated properly,” said Hrudanada Sahu, a passenger.

An official of the Dream Team Sahara (DTS), the private operator of city bus service, said the thefts were creating problems for the bus operators. “Without proper boards, the bus operators are forced to pick up passengers from various places of a stretch causing traffic woes,” said a senior official of the DTS.

The police said they were suspecting this as the handiwork of autorickshaw operators and private bus owners. “We will intensify night patrolling and keep tabs on the government properties,” said a senior police officer.

The city bus service covers 12 routes, including Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Nearly 37,000 to 42,000 passengers depend on the bus service everyday. At present, 105 buses ply across Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri and parts of Khurda.

Earlier, the criminals had targeted streetlights. In May, three persons were arrested in connection with a streetlight theft. “This is bothering us as the corporation has to spend money to reinstall the street lights and signages. The property belongs to the public and they must play an active role to report such kinds of thefts,” said mayor Anant Narayan Jena.