Ban fails to check ads on traffic signs
No clear rule on hoardings
Mahir Haneef
Kochi
Despite the High Court ban on advertisements on traffic signs, Kochi city still have many such boards with colourful advertisements. Most of the traffic signs in the city are sponsored by private firms, who were once permitted to put up advertisements in them.
Referring to the existence of traffic signs with advertisements on them, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) said, “We prevent new boards with advertisements from being put up and allow old ones to be there as they will be removed when the contract is over. We are now concentrating on advertisements and hoardings that disrupt the flow of traffic. Motor Vehicles Act only allows removal of those boards that disrupt traffic.”
At the same time, the huge hoardings that have changed the face of Kochi had become a controversy recently. Big hoardings in the city fall outside the High Court ruling, but the court had ruled that the corporation can impose tax on hoardings following a dispute between M/s Mayoora Advertisers and Corporation of Kochi.
But advertisers cry foul over the new tax saying that the hoardings put up on top of buildings are already being taxed in the form of land tax and building tax. Corporation of Kochi also made a rule that hoarding should not be put up above a height of four floors.
Describing the new rule as a thoughtless one, Vimal Arakkal of Mayoora
Advertisers said “Corporation banned hoardings above fourth floor saying that it would injure people if it falls. Still a hoarding falling from the third or second floor is enough to injure a person.” Amongst all these disputes, the fact that there is no proper regulation or law to control hoardings and advertisements in India remains so.
