Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has renewed its push to legalise designated advertising zones. The civic body is banking on the High Court to approve its revised 2024 Advertisement Bylaw, enabling a structured mechanism to regulate outdoor advertisements while preserving public spaces. Despite a blanket ban and repeated crackdowns, the illegal erection of flexes and hoardings remains rampant. BBMP data shows that over 25,000 unauthorised displays were removed in the last 11 months, with 448 FIRs filed and fines totalling Rs 4.1 lakh. Yet officials concede that these efforts have only yielded temporary results.
According to civic officials, enforcement teams often dismantle banners only for them to reappear overnight, driven largely by visibility-seeking political and commercial interests. The proposed bylaw aims to shift the approach from enforcement to regulation. By introducing legal advertising zones inspired by Delhi’s model and backed by the Supreme Court, BBMP plans to confine promotional materials to predefined locations such as private premises or wide thoroughfares, avoiding footpaths, medians and trees. The bylaw also introduces dynamic penalties linked to banner size and placement, potentially doubling existing advertisement charges.
A recent viral video showing blocked footpaths in Nagarbhavi due to unauthorised political banners has reignited public anger and placed renewed pressure on the civic body to act. While the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act and BBMP Act provide a legal basis for fines, authorities argue the penalties are too low to act as deterrents. Officials say the new framework, if approved, would help balance civic order, pedestrian rights, and the city’s advertising needs. It is also expected to generate revenue that can be channelled into urban maintenance. The 2018 version of the bylaw was quashed for lack of constitutional clarity, but the 2024 draft addresses those legal gaps.
Until the court pronounces its verdict, BBMP continues its on-ground efforts to manage illegal signage. However, urban planners argue that sustainable cityscapes need long-term regulation, not just reactive enforcement.
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