If driving through narrow potholed roads is a nightmarish experience, what adds to motorists’ woes is the presence of sign boards and hoardings put up on main roads in the city.
In blatant violation of town planning rules, commercial establishments have erected sign boards on thoroughfares, eating up the space meant for motorists. Civic officials, on an overdrive to clear encroachments in Nallacheruru, which is inhabited by daily wagers, close their eyes to the blatant violations on Lakshmipuram Main Road, Brodiepet and Arundelpet, the prime commercial location in the town. The officials are also accused of ignoring violation of rules by big commercial establishments even as they are cracking the whip on small vendors.
For instance, a shopping plaza on Lakshmipuram Main Road has put up a cluster of sign boards near the foot path.
The main road gets clogged in evening owing to rush of students from a residential college nearby. With the space getting eaten up by sign boards, motorists find it exasperating to drive.
Another issue is the display of multi-coloured flexi banners on electric poles, road dividers and bridges. Come festivals, birthdays of netas and visits of VIPs, it has become common practice to erect huge banners.
Meanwhile, the Town Planning Department says it is cracking the whip on those who erect illegal sign boards.
“We are beginning a special drive to clear all main roads from Thursday. We have deployed 50 persons to remove encroachments and sign boards on the Lakshmipuram Main Road,” Assistant City Planner G. Ravinder said.
“Unauthorised hoardings are eating into public space. The GMC, which is bent on increasing property tax exorbitantly never bothers to take measures against violators,” says Konda Siva Rami Reddy, secretary of Avagahana, a civil society group.
