BBMP orders removal of LED hoardings from footpaths within 7 days

Bengaluru: The BBMP has ordered an advertising company to remove all unipole advertising boards erected on footpaths and public roads within seven days. The notice was served after Signpost India, a private firm, installed LED boards in various locations without obtaining permission from the BBMP’s chief commissioner. Interestingly, the civic body has given the company fifteen days to submit alternative spots for each LED board.

Last month, the private firm began installing as many as 1,560 LED boards, each carrying a display panel of 3.75 square meters, near 400 traffic signals where it built police kiosks as part of a public-private partnership (PPP) project. Although the agreement was dated March 2018, the project encountered controversy after the BBMP was accused of modifying the conditions to favour the company in the past.

In its recent notice, the BBMP cited multiple court judgments, including a division bench order that categorically ruled out advertising boards on pedestrian footpaths, in areas prone to human movement, and densely populated locations. The civic body also noted that the agency cannot determine the location without prior permission from the chief commissioner, as stated in the BBMP Act.

The notice follows a DH article published on August 20, titled, “BBMP’s ‘compromised deal’ lights up safety concerns”. The private agency had started installing the LED boards in the middle of footpaths, putting pedestrians at risk. This move also violated the BBMP’s public notice dated June 2021, which stated that citizens cannot be deprived of the effective use of footpaths.

However, the notice is silent on the Rs 62 crore advertisement tax and ground rent that the private agency has defaulted on, although these details are available on the BBMP’s official website.

The civic body has permitted Sign Post Ltd to identify alternative suitable spots for advertisements and apply for permission within fifteen days. These spots cannot include footpaths or medians.

“The work award and the agreement do not give you blanket permission to erect commercial advertisements on any spot or location you wish—specifically, the erection of commercial advertisements on footpaths is clearly prohibited and constitutes a significant hazard to pedestrians,” the notice states.

S R Kemparaju, executive director of Signpost India, said he would respond to the BBMP’s notice on Monday.