The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has finally passed its much awaited ‘Outdoor Signage and Public Messaging’ bylaws after being pulled up by the Karnataka High Court over its lax approach with regard to flexes. The draft policy was in the making since 2015.
The bylaws passed by BBMP on Tuesday comes shortly after the council had decided to put an official ban on all forms of outdoor advertisements in the city for a year starting from January 2018.
The Palike observed that Bengaluru is looking cleaner and more vibrant after BBMP, along with the Bengaluru Traffic Police, removed all advertisement flexes, hoardings, posters and wall writings across the city in a special drive since August 1, 2018.
According to the new law, “No commercial hoardings are to be allowed anywhere in the territorial jurisdiction of BBMP. Special areas developed by government and BBMP may be designated for exemption, such as pedestrian-only shopping streets or high-value landmark centres, where commercial hoardings are deemed to enhance the experience of the public space.
“Such exemptions will be evaluated, approved and regulated by a review committee appointed for the same. This prohibition does not include signs placed on public transit stations, bike-sharing stations or car-share facilities when they are placed by the sponsors of such facilities,” it added.
Moreover, the city has been divided into four advertising zones such as A, B, C and D.
In Zone A, no hoardings (including neons) are permitted and includes areas such as Kumara Krupa Road, Rajbhavan Road, Ambedkar Veedhi, Post Office Road, Chalukya Circle, Maharani College Road, K R Circle, Nrupatunga Road, Palace Road, Cubbon Park and Lal Bagh.
The law also says that any sign placed on public property or within a public right-of-way or public easement without authorisation or without a required sign permit may be removed without notice.
BBMP claims the new by-laws have been drafted keeping in mind public access, the environment, traffic safety and aesthetic factors.
Following are the highlights of the new law:
BBMP is the sole approving authority for all outdoor advertisement on private or public premises, buildings, property walls, roof, parapet and public structures such as poles and lamp posts.
Hoardings erected in the setback of property shall not obstruct the free movement of people in the setback area.
With respect to high-rise buildings, NOC should be obtained from the Fire Force department. Further, the hoardings in a setback area should not project onto the footpath or neighbouring properties.
Hoardings are to be erected at a minimum distance of 30 feet from the edge of a junction or a circle and shall be erected along the road only.
Whenever a hoarding is erected near/on the footpath, the hoarding should have an angle between 50 to 60 degrees with respect to the centreline of the road.
No flashing or animated signs, except permitted electronic public message signs
No audio is allowed on outdoor displays.
No sequential messaging is permitted.
No gantry may be used for purposes other than traffic direction
No balloon or air inflated signs
No wall facades to the right-of-way to have commercial posters, paintings, messages. Public messaging and street enhancing public art are exempted, with proper design approvals from the review committee.
No signs are allowed on trees, street poles for public lighting, directional signage, transformers, telecommunication towers and other such public property.
No signs allowed on or in burial grounds, stormwater drains, drains, lakes, trees and animals.