Flouting HC order, hoardings, banners back on GST Road; endanger motorists

CHENNAI: Illegal hoardings and banners are back on both sides of GST Road endangering the safety of motorists on the arterial strip. Hoardings of all hues and size are placed on the roadsides of the highways in Tambaram and Kancheepuram.

Two years ago, a young woman was killed after a banner fell on her on the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial road when she was riding her scooter.

After that, the HC had ordered the removal of all banners and hoardings on the highways and instructed the State government to prevent advertisers from placing banners on the highways. Subsequently, the police and the Highways department removed all the banners and did not allow anyone to place them on the highways.

But over the past few months, the public and lawmakers seem to have ignored the High Court order. The district administration, which initially checked everywhere to remove the banners, has been allowing the banned structures to mushroom along the highways.

The number of banners on the highways has started to increase gradually. Huge banners are spotted in several areas on the highways on Walajabad-Vandalur Road and Tambaram-Velacherry Road.

Motorists rued that the large size of the banners distracts them from the road, especially when they’re drive the bike. In some places on the highways, they claim that banners are tied to the lamp posts. After a few days, knots weaken, and the banners fall on the road causing accidents.

“Banners and giant-size hoardings are risky on the highways. When they break away from their hinges and fall on the road, more often than not, it’s the bikers who are at risk,” pointed out D Vijayakumar, a resident of Tambaram.

Also, since the wind speed is always high on the highways, especially during the summer, the hoardings along both sides sway in the wind, which weaken the screws on the iron frame it stands on. Within a short time, they fall on the road and injure commuters especially those on two-wheelers.

Andrew, a regular commuter from Tambaram recalled, “A few weeks ago, when I was riding my scooter on the highway, an advertisement board that was tied on the lamppost broke and fell on the road – just a few feet away from me. I had a narrow escape this time, but what about next time?”

Several denizens have opined that the only way government officials would stop allowing advertisers from installing banner and hoardings on the highways is if ‘another Subhashree tragedy’ happens in the suburbs.

When contacted, the Tambaram Corporation Commissioner R Alagumeena admitted that hoardings have increased in recent days. But she also assured that she’d investigate the issue. “I’ll pass an order to collect the penalty from the people placing the banners and will take steps to stop it completely,” said Alagumeena.