Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is yet to remove 38 hoardings installed on the bus stops of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor on Ahmednagar and Alandi roads, despite chief minister Devendra Fadnavis orders to the civic body to do so in July.
Vijay Dahibhate, head of PMC’s sky sign department, said, “Concerned orders to remove all these hoardings on the bus stops of the BRTS corridor on Ahmednagar and Alandi roads have already been given to the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML). These hoardings will be removed soon.”
According to PMC officials, the city police department had rejected PMC’s request of regularising these hoardings citing safety concerns.
A senior official of PMC’s sky sign department on condition of anonymity said, “The city police department has cited the example of the fatal accident of hoarding collapse near the Juna Bazaar last year. Considering these safety concerns, our request was rejected.”
The frame of a billboard 40-foot in height collapsed onto the Shahir Amar Shaikh chowk October 5 at Juna Bazaar, killing four persons and seriously injuring six. The frame, installed on the land belonging to the Pune railway department, was being removed when the incident happened.
The official spokesperson of the PMPML said, “We have got a notice from the civic body to remove these hoardings at the earliest. We have already given instructions to remove these hoardings and the work will begin soon.”
{{/usCountry}}The official spokesperson of the PMPML said, “We have got a notice from the civic body to remove these hoardings at the earliest. We have already given instructions to remove these hoardings and the work will begin soon.”
{{/usCountry}}Qaneez Sukharani, citizen activist, said, “This highlights government authorities impunity and audacity in view of my Contempt Petition no. 210 of 2018 being heard. It seems that there are two sets of rules that PMC adopts, one for private companies and others for their SPV (PMPML contracted hoardings).”
“Apart from their installation being illegal, it is a diversion to all road users and pedestrians as well,” she said.