New outdoor advertising by-laws which will hold companies criminally liable for illegal advertising, may be approved before the end of June.
The draft bylaws are still being considered by various committees including the mayoral committee and Section 79 oversight committee, after which they will likely make their way to council for final approval.
The City‘s outdoor advertising operations manager, Jack Sekgobela, previously said media companies, communes, estate agents, franchises and private homeowners are frequent transgressors.
With 78 per cent of outdoor advertising across the City erected illegally, the municipality approved this draft by-law in June that will see companies facing criminal charges and allow Metro police to take down all illegal advertising.
The documents were sent for public consultation and have since been finalised.
MMC for Development Planning, Funzela Ngobeni, said the final draft was compiled with the consideration of public input in mind. Through the proposed by-laws, the City aims to reduce the number of illegal signs around Johannesburg and help the industry realise maximum value on approved signs, he said.
“Previously, the City regulated the industry by taking matters to court on each contravention. This cost time and money that could be rechanneled to other services.”
Ngobeni said that adherence to these by-laws improves the safety of pedestrians and motorists. He said it also saves the City’s infrastructure from accelerated wear and tear.
“Complying with by-laws affords the immediate communities to be active citizens, and be able to work with the City in minimising clutter and ensuring that there is co-existence of road traffic signs, as well advertising signs,” he said.
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