BENGALURU: The ban on all kinds of advertisements by Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has indirectly helped another government agency — Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation — to encash upon its benefits.
The ads on buses of state-owned transport corporation is gaining prominence now as there is no space to display ads across the city and also no scope for unauthorised advertisements as both BBMP and city police are on their toes.
According to sources, the BMTC had invited tenders from the interested advertisement agencies and two agencies have won the tender. Accordingly, agencies have the rights to display ads on around 5,000 buses plying across the city.
As BMTC has banned ads on the sidewalls of buses in July 2017, the only place remaining is the back panel. For display of each ad (back panel, size 6ft x 3ft), one has to pay a monthly rent of `4,300, excluding the tax to be paid for BBMP and the Regional Transport Office (RTO).
This tariff has come into force recently and an increase in ads to transport corporation, is fetching income to BBMP and RTO through tax, sources said. Earlier, the price of the ad for the same measurement was Rs 2,600 — which is almost a 61 per cent increase in the price.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, a BMTC official said that they had invited tenders before BBMP banned advertisements, and that contract of ads was given to two different agencies through tenders. These agencies will have details of the increase in the ads after banning of advertisements by the BBMP, the
official added.
Charges on pro-rata basis
A source in an advertisement agency said that the increase in demand for ads on buses is likely to go up in the near future. In such circumstances, advertisement charges will be levied through pro-rata basis.
When contacted, G Ravindra Reddy of Sole Rights Advertisements Agency — which has the rights of ads of majority of total 5,000 buses — confirmed that there is an increase in the demands for ads on buses. Television channels are the highest beneficiaries of the ads on wheels to promote TV serials. This apart, commercial products, cement, etc., are few others approaching going for these ads, he added.
How HC took control of situation
As the Karnataka High Court had asked the BBMP and city police to ensure that all unauthorised hoardings, flexes and banners in city were removed, the BBMP has resolved to ban all kinds of advertisements across the city, besides registering cases against unauthorised hoardings/flexes.
In the next step, it has also dismantled all unauthorised hoarding structures and booked cases against property owners who did not remove hoarding structures despite notices being sent to them. The BBMP has given exemption to ads displayed on bus shelters, public toilets and skywalks, which are built under Private Public Partnership (PPP) Projects.
However, the materials of these advertisements are in question and those materials are bio-degradable or not, is yet be tested and the same is being examined by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board.