photo: ÖBB press materials/According to ÖBB statistics, the amount of graffiti damage is rising. The damage amounts to up to 1.5 million euros a year
In 2021 over seventeen illegal artists got busted for spreading their art. ÖBB was able to estimate a loss of 304,739.75 euros and found over 134 graffiti pieces. A total of 17 perpetrators were caught, who could get charged with over 250 offenses - including criminal prosecution and claims for damage. There is no need to point out the dangers of being an illegal graffiti artist because the overhead lines run under 15,000 volts. An electric shock can occur as soon as you approach it, which often leads to fatal accidents, including when climbing on wagons or overhead line masts.
Overall, the number of graffiti offenses is on the rise. While there were still just under 1,900 cases in 2020, the number will rise to over 2,400 (+26%) in 2021. The number of damages increased from 1.2 million euros per year to around 1.5 million euros per year.
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