Town Planning Committee to examine digital billboards as complaints mount

The Kochi Corporation is taking a close look at digital advertisement boards, referred to as master boards that have recently appeared at prominent locations, including major junctions in the city leaving widespread complaints in their wake about their positioning obstructing pedestrians and distracting motorists alike.

So far, around 12 large boards mounted on two pillar-like structures have been installed, streaming continuous digital commercials. The Corporation has received numerous complaints about these boards, which are now under consideration by the Town Planning Committee.

Although the project to install master boards was approved by the previous council led by the Left Democratic Front (LDF), it was LDF parliamentary party leader V.A. Sreejith who raised concerns about them in the last council meeting. “Many of these boards have encroached on footpaths, obstructing pedestrian movement while also affecting motorists’ visibility of vehicles coming from the opposite direction. With the Corporation already receiving flak from the High Court over indiscriminate hoardings and flex boards, it should examine and remove those boards installed on footpaths,” he said.

Mayor V.K. Minimol said that the United Democratic Front (UDF) had opposed the proposal when it was approved by the previous council. She said that, according to the relevant file, approval had been granted for 50 large and 200 small boards without specifying their exact locations. While the Public Works department (PWD) had opposed the proposal, it was sanctioned at a higher level of government, she added.

“The Town Planning Committee has been asked to examine whether these boards have been installed in a manner that inconveniences public movement and whether they exceed the permitted size. We must also consider the legal implications before removing problematic boards or reducing the number of permissible boards, lest the Corporation face litigation. There are also advertisements permitted on posts used for police surveillance cameras and those allowed by the PWD. We cannot allow roads to be cluttered with excessive advertisements,” she said.

D. Dhanuraj, chairman of the Kochi-based think tank Centre for Public Policy Research, said such boards that obstruct pedestrians cannot be permitted, especially given the scarcity of footpaths in the city. He added that the location and installation of these boards should be based on scientific analysis and that they should be placed well above eye level to avoid distracting motorists.