Coimbatore city is grappling with a proliferation of illegal hoardings and posters on flyovers, roads, and public property. Instead of artistic murals, these spaces are marred by unauthorized advertisements. Key locations such as the Kavundampalayam flyover, Mettupalayam Road, Singanallur, and Sundarapuram are dotted with hoardings lacking license numbers. Compound walls of the city corporation's open ground at RS Puram and the corporation ward office at Coimbatore North Junction are plastered with posters. The condition of other public properties is no better.
Despite the city corporation's long-standing drives against illegal hoardings and posters, the problem persists. In fact, after each drive, the city records a spike in such unauthorized advertisements. To address this issue, the corporation is now preparing to release a dedicated set of standard operating procedures (SOP) for both wall posters and hoardings.
New Measures: QR Codes and GIS Tagging
Corporation commissioner Katta Ravi Teja announced plans to issue QR codes to registered firms and introduce Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tagging for all approved hoardings. “This system will be linked to the corporation website to support transparent advertisement bookings and help monitor unauthorized hoardings,” he explained.
Proposed Locations for Wall Posters
For wall posters, the corporation proposes earmarking specific locations across the city. “We have identified nearly 90 locations across the five zones for this purpose. The SOP is ready and awaiting approval from the council. We recently convened a meeting with members of the hoarding association and poster vendors for their opinions. Another meeting will be scheduled to inform them about the SOP,” the commissioner added.
Activist Calls for Strict Enforcement
Social activist K Kathirmathiyon welcomed the move but emphasized that all hoardings should undergo strict scrutiny. Only those with a valid licence should be granted QR and GIS tagging. “The corporation should not stop with just SOP; it should ensure effective execution. This enforcement should be primarily communicated to political parties. The city corporation should convene an all-party meeting,” he said.
He also noted that no local body is authorized to grant permission for hoardings along state or national highways, including advertisements at bus stops on these roads. The corporation must abide by these rules.
Safety Concerns Raised
M Devendran, secretary of the Coimbatore District Road Safety Association, pointed out that advertisements along Mettupalayam Road have become a threat to motorists. “Some educational institutions and hospitals along Mettupalayam Road have placed advertisements with flashy LED lights that obstruct the vision of motorists at night, sometimes leading to accidents. These boards should also be controlled. Similarly, private ads dominate barricades placed on roads and near U-turns. This also needs to be regularized,” he stated.
