The numerous pillar boxes dotting the city’s pavements are not only an eyesore but also pose danger to pedestrians. They are now set to be replaced with sophisticated shockproof boxes.
The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) has proposed to replace old pillar boxes, which have been disfigured by posters or have wires jutting out, with new ones that will be power efficient.
A TANGEDCO official in T. Nagar, where one of the 40 new pillar boxes have been installed, said there were no faults recorded in the past month. The old pillar boxes, he said, were prone to a number of technical faults during summer.
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A senior official of TANGEDCO said a total of 250 pillar boxes would be installed in different parts of the city to improve energy efficiency. They also come with a switch system replacing electrical cables and can withstand higher power loads.
The official said that the new boxes occupy very little space, thus providing more space for pedestrian movement, and complement the Chennai Corporation’s project to widen pavements and improve them to global standards. Though the cost of the new pillar box is twice as that of the conventional one, it would bring back returns on investments within a year, thanks to its energy savings, and less maintenance, he added.