The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed a draft policy for hoardings in Mumbai that includes advertisements on skywalks, balloons, stationary vehicles, and business premises, according to a report by Times of India. Mumbai’s civic body has also suggested fixing the minimum distance between two large hoardings to 70 metre. For stationary vehicles, BMC has proposed the minimum distance from any other advertisement material to 30 metre and for skywalks and foot over-bridges 10ft, the English daily reported.
The crackdown on outdoor advertising, especially ad hoardings, comes in the wake of the 100-foot giant hoarding crash in Maharashtra’s capital Mumbai, which killed 17 people and injured many others.
The new draft policy will also include guidelines for digitized advertisement, an official told TOI. The official said they have planned a meeting next week on digitized ads. The draft policy on hoarding will soon be placed in the public domain for suggestions and objections, the official added.
Under the new draft policy, the hoardings near high-tension wires will require a “no-objection certificate (NOC)” from the power distribution firm. And, for illuminated digitized hoarding, a NOC from the joint commissioner of traffic police will be made mandatory.
Further, BMC has also proposed to affix QR codes on billboards, scanning them will provide details relating to the date of license issuance, size of hoarding, validity, owner details, including contact.
On advertisements related to social messages by government authorities, the BMC has proposed fees. On non-payment of fees, the advertisers would be blacklisted.
On Wednesday, BMC asked license inspectors to submit reports regarding the size of the hoardings, QR codes on hoardings, and digital hoardings being switched off by 11 pm. The reports are to be submitted by June 19. “Strict action will be taken against the inspection team if any false information is found in the reports,” BMC said in an official circular.