BENGALURU: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has removed a tobacco-related advertisement from its bus after a citizen raised the issue on social media and tagged the Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister. KSRTC also issued notice to the advertisement agency, which hold the license to place advertisements not to put ads on buses related to tobacco, liquor and related products, drugs, obscene material and the products which are legally banned.
On April 8, Siraj Madaka shared a photo on X, of a KSRTC bus, with its back panel displaying advertisement of a smokeless tobacco product, which is popular among the youth.
Siraj complained that “Displaying advertisements for products harmful to health—such as tobacco, cigarettes, and alcohol—on government-owned buses is not good for society. For the sake of society, it is better not to display such advertisements on government-owned buses. Please pay attention,” Madaka wrote, tagging the Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister, Dr Vaishnavi K, who took note of the post on the same day.
Vaishanavi immediately forwarded the complaint to KSRTC and the Chief Traffic Manager (CTM) took action and got the tobacco advertisement removed from the bus.
In the letter addressed to Dr Vaishnavi on April 17, the CTM said that a notice has been issued to the advertising agency which got the license from the bus corporation to place ads on its buses.
The notice instructed the agency not to display advertisements related to products banned under the law.