MCD wants pie of revenue from ads in state buses

Inter-state buses entering Delhi will have to obtain NOC from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for displaying advertisements on them, reports Neelam Pandey.

Inter-state buses entering Delhi will have to obtain no objection certificates (NOC) from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for displaying advertisements on them.

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Not just that, the state transport authorities will have to share revenue with the civic body as well.

The MCD has issued notices to state transport authorities of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal for displaying advertisements on buses that ply in Delhi.

"Any vehicle plying on MCD roads need to obtain an NOC from us for displaying advertisements. It is in violation of the Delhi Municipal Act. These inter-state buses have been displaying advertisements on them and have not taken permission from the MCD. We have issued notices to all these transport authorities', said Vijendra Gupta, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the MCD.

According to the civic body, under DMC Act section 142 and 143, outdoor advertisement is the prerogative of the MCD and permission has to be obtained from the MCD commissioner by anybody who want to display ads.

The civic body also says the transport authorities have to share their advertisement revenue too. "Under section 143 of the DMC Act, we have issued notices to the transport authorities. They need to share their advertisement revenue or remove the advertisements," said a senior MCD official.

According to the civic body, operators of Blueline buses had approached them recently, seeking permission to put advertisements on buses. The MCD had agreed on a revenue sharing basis.

"Blueline operators had approached us. We have formulated a policy and they will be allowed to advertise if they follow our guidelines", Gupta added.