Trucks covered in graffiti may be issued warnings

graffititruck.jpg

City officials are considering issuing warnings or citations for trucks that are covered with graffiti. Creative Commons image from Flickr user

San Francisco is considering handing out warnings or orders to clean trucks covered in graffiti.

The issue is similar to a law that requires building owners to clean graffiti off of walls or be billed if city workers clean it up, according to ABC7.

The idea grew out of The City’s Clean and Green truck program, which is a $15,000 grant that was used to paint 14 trucks covered in graffiti the color Transformer Green, according to the San Francisco Examiner. It aims to curb vandals from using delivery trucks’ standard white paint job as a canvas.

The Department of Public Works has declared the program a success and hopes to continue it.

"There’s no law right now that says you have to abate the graffiti," said Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, who also sits on The City’s Graffiti Advisory Board and helped coordinate the program. "These trucks are ugly. They’re urban blight. They make neighborhoods look abandoned."

Nuru said he plans to work with city and state officials to either require proof on registration of the truck that it is clean or allow police to cite the vehicle. Some freedom of expression issues may have to be worked out first. 

At the very least, Nuru said, plans are to extend the grant and keep repainting trucks. 

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