Hoardings to be back in Bengaluru, but with more restrictions; draft bylaws aim to increase ad revenue
The Hindu
Advertisement hoardings are all set to make a comeback across Bengaluru, except around Vidhana Soudha, as per the much-awaited Draft Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (Advertisement) Bylaws, 2024, notified by the State government on Saturday.
Advertisement hoardings are all set to make a comeback across Bengaluru, except around Vidhana Soudha, as per the much-awaited Draft Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (Advertisement) Bylaws, 2024, notified by the State government on Saturday.
Following outrage over illegal hoardings in the city, the State government had banned all commercial hoardings under the BBMP Outdoor Advertisement and Public Message Bylaws, 2018, except those allowed on PPP projects.
The new draft bylaws for advertising streamline the process of licencing, make it an online process, and bring in several reforms, even as they place several restrictions on commercial advertising. The advertising fee prescribed in the draft bylaws is several times higher than what it was before hoardings were banned in 2018, with an aim to realise the potential of ad fee revenue in the city.
The draft bylaws impose several restrictions such as banning advertising on roads less than 60 ft wide (except in commercial and industrial hubs), on trees, street lights, electricity poles, on footpaths, abutting public roads, 50 ft from a traffic signal on all arms of the signal, 50 m from any place of worship, etc. The bylaws ban video advertising and impose restrictions on neon lights. The draft even creates an Advertisement Regulatory Committee, headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department.
The draft bylaws stipulate the size of the hoardings to a maximum of 40x20 ft on roads for every 100-metre stretch of the road (combining length along both sides of the road) and to a horizontal width of a maximum of 60 ft at circles. This essentially means the licensed agency can put up a hoarding every 100 metres of the road, which many say can clutter the road. The maximum height of a hoarding has been fixed at 75 ft from ground level.
The draft bylaws fix a minimum ground rent in the range of ₹40 per sq. ft to ₹110 per sq. ft of advertising based on the guidance value of the area. This fee can go up in the auction/tender. This will be several times higher than what was prescribed earlier.
“Earlier, we used to spend around ₹1.8 lakh for a hoarding of 40x20 ft in the CBD area for a year’s display. Now, some estimates as per the draft bylaws show it may go up to ₹10 lakh,” said Manmohan Singh, secretary, Outdoors’ Advertising Association, Bengaluru.
Need for more subsidies for fruits and vegetables’ cultivation: Chinnareddy
Tirupati police intensify efforts against drunk driving with new breathalyser kits for highway patrol teams to enhance road safety.
Bombay HC mandates Vijay Mallya's return to India to challenge the Fugitive Offenders law, emphasizing court jurisdiction.
Rajanna accuses DCM Shivakumar of Congress's LS seat losses due to 'vote theft' in Karnataka, urging leadership accountability.
Cyberabad's Women Safety Wing intensifies efforts against street prostitution and human trafficking, rescuing victims and raising awareness in 2025.
Inscription dating back to the reign of Vijayanagara ruler Krishnadevaraya has provided the earliest known epigraphical reference to the Bonalu festival in present-day Telangana.
BJP protests Karnataka's Hate Speech Bill, claiming it violates constitutional rights and threatens democratic freedoms.
Bhanu Prakash Yeturu, Deputy Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, chaired a zonal-level review meeting on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) works, here on Tuesday. The meeting, which witnessed the participation of 10 District Collectors (District Election Officers), involved high-level oversight by national and State election authorities.
CREDAI Hyderabad Property Show 2026 will be held from February 6-8 at HITEX, showcasing approved residential and commercial projects.
Join the 40th Asian Waterbird Census on January 10-11, 2026, at Godavari estuary to observe endangered migratory species.
Ridge School in Kurnool launches a debate boot camp to enhance students' critical thinking and public speaking skills.
Tourism Minister R. Rajendran distributes bicycles to students and initiates infrastructure projects in Salem, enhancing local education and development.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje announces free ESIC medical services for unorganised workers, enhancing social security for all labor sectors.