Hamilton –September 21, 2021

Vandals Remove Potentially Life-Saving Piece from Pedestrian Crossings

The City of Hamilton is appealing to members of the public to report any acts of vandalism they witness in the City to either the Bermuda Police Service (295-0011) or the City itself (292-1234).

The call comes after it was discovered that an important piece has been removed from more than 20 pedestrian crossings around Hamilton – a piece which could save lives.

The device is a rotating cone tactile device, designed to indicate to those who are visually impaired or blind (and can’t see the lights) that it is safe to cross the road. The cone has distinctive ridges around it and is located underneath the button which pedestrians press when they would like to cross. When the green man lights up to show that it's time for pedestrians to cross the street, the cone starts spinning. 

City Engineer Patrick Cooper said, “This week, one of our technicians noticed that someone has ripped off the small metal cones from the underside of some of our pedestrian crossings. The parts have no real monetary value so we can think of no other reason why someone would do this other than to be destructive. These cones are a source of independence for visually impaired or blind people that cannot be underestimated, and a vital lifeline for some of the island’s most vulnerable people.

“We want to implore whoever is doing this to stop – and know that they are endangering lives by their actions.”

If anyone knows the identities of the individuals responsible for this vandalism, they should report them to the Bermuda Police Service and the City of Hamilton.

The cones have been a feature on most crossings in the United Kingdom since the late 1980s and provide the same information as a beeping signal but in tactile form.