CHENNAI: A PIL has been filed in Madras High Court for a direction to remove all sorts of advertisements at traffic junctions, signal points and road dividers.
When the PIL from Coimbatore Consumer Cause came up on Thursday, the first bench of Chief Justice SK Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan impleaded the National Highways Authority of India as a party-respondent in the case.
The Government Pleader took notice on the PIL and Assistant Solicitor General S Srinivasan took notice for NHAI and it was listed for January 19.
The PIL prayed for a direction to the authorities to initiate appropriate action to remove all advertisements at traffic signals and other devices erected for traffic control, guidance and/or information in violation of the Guidelines of the Policy on Roadside Advertisements formulated by Indian Roads Congress under the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and TN Urban Local Bodies Licensing of Hoardings and Levy and Collection of Advertisement Tax Rules, 2003, in the entire State within a time limit to be prescribed by the court. Petitioner submitted that the guidelines are being flagrantly violated with many advertising agencies displaying catchy and attractive commercial advertisements on traffic signals.
These ads on the entire space of the traffic signals distract road users as also drivers, posing danger to the safety of road users.
There are many incidents which led to accidents because of diversion of attention on the part of the drivers, petitioner contended.