City will be graffiti-free next month, says business group

DUBLIN CITY centre will be graffiti free by next month and chewing gum litter free by the end of this year, according to a city businesses organisation.

The Dublin City Business Improvement District, an organisation funded by businesses to provide additional street cleaning and city “enhancement” services, said its rapid response to graffiti has succeeded in driving graffiti artists out of the city centre.

Membership of the organisation, known as Bid, is compulsory for every business located in the city core from Parnell Street to St Stephen’s Green and Capel Street to the Custom House. Each business pays and annual fee equivalent to just under 5 per cent of their rates bill. The money is largely used to supplement Dublin City Council services.

The organisation began removing graffiti from buildings within the Bid zone last November, and, according to its chief executive Richard Guiney, the problem has almost entirely vanished.

“When we started removing it, the graffiti would come back twice as fast, but there comes a time when they realise that it’s not going to be there for their friends or others to see and they take themselves off.”

Bid had originally aimed to have made the city centre graffiti free by November, but the project is running two months ahead of schedule, Mr Guiney said.

“We’ve removed more than 5,000sq m to date. It really has been a great success and it’s when you walk outside of the Bid area that you really become of aware of it.”

Having defeated the graffiti artists, Bid intends to eliminate chewing gum waste from the city’s pavements. The technology used to remove graffiti can also be used for gum removal. The same chemical is spayed on, but while the graffiti is power-hosed away, the gum is heat-treated or burned off.

While this does not damage stone, such as granite or concrete pavements, it is a very expensive process. “It costs about €5.50 per square metre to remove chewing gum wads. That works out at about €2.50 to €5 to remove a pack of gum.”

Bid also carries out additional street washing and vacuuming services to supplement the city council’s regular cleaning service. It also has a team of “street ambassadors” who alert the council if a street needs urgent attention, so that a cleaning crew can be immediately dispatched to the affected area.

The 18 ambassadors, 12 of whom are employed on a permanent basis, also provide tourist information.