Cinema posters and hoardings will be permitted only at designated places in the city.
A bylaw on display of advertisements in the city, passed by the Kochi corporation council on Thursday, has restricted the display of cinema posters and other advertisements to places identified by the civic authorities as an attempt to keep the city clean. The corporation secretary will identify and publish the list of designated places and the final list will be released after providing time for the general public to file complaints.
The bylaw will come into effect from the day it is published in the gazette after the approval of the State government.
Film agencies should pay a fee and obtain permission from the corporation secretary for displaying cinema poster at designated places. Posters for which clearance has not been obtained will be treated as unauthorised ones and penal action, as prescribed by the Kerala Municipalities Act, will be initiated.
The permission of the corporation secretary would be required to display advertisements within the corporation area, including public places, road puramboke, private holdings, buildings, walls and even in the sky.
The corporation has also slapped a ban on obscene and banned advertisements. Radio Frequency identification tag will be provided to all the hoardings for their easy identification and verification of tax payment details.
The new legislation includes vehicle-mounted display boards too. The owners of such vehicles should pay tax and get the clearance of the corporation secretary for displaying the advertisements in the city limit.
A ban has been slapped on display of advertisements and hoardings on buildings of historical importance, public parks and buildings and traffic islands. Setting up arches, advertisement hoardings, boards, cinema posters and wall posters near places of worship, playgrounds, educational institutions, busy junctions and other places set aside by the civic body has also been banned by the bylaw.
The bylaw has also stipulated that billboards and hoardings should be set up at least one metre away from public thoroughfares and buildings. No hoardings will be permitted to be mounted on buildings above five floors.
Even while permitting LED and digital video boards for ads, the corporation has imposed a ban on screening movies, advertisement films and even animation movies. Only still ads will be permitted on these boards, according to the bylaw moved by the Town Planning Standing Committee of the civic body.
Recognising the rights of pedestrians and motorists, the bylaw has stated that no pillars, hoardings and arches should be erected in the city obstructing vehicular movement or passage of pedestrians.
The bylaw also fixes the responsibility of all accidents related to the display of advertisements on the licensee. The licensee will be responsible for the payment of all compensation arising out of the accidents and the corporation will in no way be responsible for such acts, the bylaw has stated.
The legislation has also specified the measurements for advertisement boards including the ones set up on top of buildings.
