COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has planned to install large screens and hide illegal flex banners and hoardings that have been installed parallel to the Dr Krishnaswamy Road, as Southern Railways officials have been refusing to remove them.
Motorists and social activists have raised concerns over illegal hoardings and flex banners installed on Dr Krishnasamy Road also known as Brooke Bond Road in ward 70 of the CCMC’s central zone. The hoardings have been placed parallel as well as opposite to Brooke Bond Road near the railway tracks, which divert attention of road users. Hoardings have also been raised near the Good Shed road flyover, which has come under strong criticism of social activists.
Sources said that the Southern Railway General Manager has already issued clear orders stating that in order to place advertisement banners, one must obtain a licence from the respective district collector. The collector can issue a licence only after all concerned departments including police and municipal corporation provide a NOC. However, in this case, railway officials installed the hoardings without obtaining a license.
Given this, the CCMC tried removing the illegal flex banners. However, the latter moved to the Madras High Court and got a stay order against removal of hoardings. The case has been pending for over a year. With the civic body recently kick-starting a drive to remove illegal flex banners and hoardings, officials are unable to remove the illegal banners installed by the railways.
With over 15 banners installed for a distance of 400 metres parallel to Brooke Bond Road, motorists get distracted. Social activists have been demanding action on this matter. As the railways stated that they don’t need NOC or permission to install hoardings on railway land, the civic body has now come up with this unique idea to counter them.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran said, “The case against flex banners installed by the railways parallel to Brooke Bond Road in the city has been pending in the Madras High Court. We have been exploring several options to counter these. Now, we have decided to put up large cloth screens for the entire stretch and hide the banners. We are also in talks with the minister and higher authorities and the pending case in court.”