Unauthorised banners on NSC Bose Road pose challenges to motorists

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The arterial NSC Bose Road, where the pedestrian space has already been encroached upon by vehicles, hawkers and shops, faces a new problem — illegal banners.

The banners have been installed right at the entrance of the Madras High Court and across the road, reducing the already limited road space for pedestrians.

A key commercial stretch, the NSC Bose Road in George Town houses the Madras High Court, Deputy Commissioner of Police office, several public sector banks, and shops. It is also an integrated transport hub, featuring the Broadway Bus Terminus and a metro station.

Advocate R. Sudha Ramalingam, said a large number of huge vinyl banners had been put up on the NSC Bose Road margins by candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu-Puducherry Bar Council election. She said these oversized flex banners had been installed on thin wooden logs and tied to electric poles or the shop signboards, abutting the main road, posing safety hazards to motorists.

She also complained that instead of protecting the law, advocates were flouting it with impunity.

The advocate has filed a complaint with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) through the online portal.

S. Umapathy, a bank employee, said that though the GCC had paved a footpath, pedestrians were unable to use it because of encroachment by hawkers, forcing them to walk on the narrow road.

One of the banners had fallen due to strong winds on Thursday evening, but it has not yet been removed. Officials from the Revenue and Finance Department and the Works Department of the Greater Chennai Corporation, who were not aware of the issue, said they would check whether permission was sought for erecting the banners, and remove it in case they were illegal. “A committee was formed by the GCC to check on problems related to illegal banners; it will review this too,” an official said.

A GCC official said the banner that fell may not have been authorised by the GCC or the Collectorate, and may have been erected illegally using political influence, similar to many other banners, which is a dangerous trend. Deputy Mayor M. Magesh Kumaar also said the GCC officials would remove the banners if they were found to be illegal.