Himeji, May 25 (News On Japan) –
Faded and illegible intersection indicators are inflicting confusion and concern amongst residents in Himeji, a metropolis in Hyogo Prefecture identified for its iconic Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage web site. With round 520,000 residents and excessive car site visitors, the deteriorating situation of highway signage is changing into a severe situation, particularly in areas frequented by vacationers.
A drive by the town reveals quite a few indicators with lacking or peeling letters, making them tough—if not inconceivable—to learn. At some intersections, solely fragments of the title stay, whereas others are clean, with metallic plates swinging precariously within the wind. One such signal, as soon as marked “Togyo Higashi,” now shows only a single character, resembling an arrow.
Particularly alarming is the situation of indicators close to JR Himeji Station. At a significant intersection close to Ho Station, all characters have fully worn off, leaving a clean white floor that gives no steering for drivers or pedestrians. Locals and even schoolchildren have expressed frustration, with some noting that unclear indicators can result in sudden turns and close to misses on the highway.
Taxi drivers working within the space report frequent confusion when navigating based mostly on passengers’ verbal directions or smartphone maps. In a survey of 18 intersections close to Ho Station, 29 of 71 indicators—or about 40%—confirmed important deterioration.
The indicators had been principally put in round 2005, in preparation for the 2006 National Sports Festival (Kokutai) hosted by Hyogo Prefecture. At the time, the prefectural authorities quickly put in new signage to accommodate the inflow of tourists. Those indicators, nonetheless, at the moment are reaching the tip of their lifespan. According to producers, the reflective plastic lettering used on the indicators sometimes lasts simply over a decade, relying on publicity to daylight, exhaust fumes, and salty sea air.
Himeji has roughly 1,500 intersection indicators in complete, with about 850 put in in the course of the Kokutai interval. Many of those haven’t been maintained or changed. The price to interchange a single intersection’s 4 indicators is estimated at almost 1 million yen, making a full-scale overhaul tough beneath present finances constraints. Authorities say they’ve prioritized replacements in tourist-heavy areas and are changing about 100 indicators yearly since round 2020.
A spokesperson for the native civil engineering workplace mentioned they’re working to safe funding and can proceed changing growing old indicators, including that whereas no accidents have but been immediately linked to the fading indicators, making certain clear highway signage stays an pressing security precedence.
Source: MBS