Pune: PCMC Resumes Efforts to Regulate Illegal Pole Kiosk Advertisements
Pimpri-Chinchwad, 27th December 2023: In a bid to address the proliferation of unauthorized kiosk advertisements on power poles, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has reinitiated the process of regularization.
These illegal kiosks had mushroomed across the city, with no consequences for the violators. Notably, PCMC had initiated a procedure two years ago to curb this issue by floating tenders and awarding contracts for the collection of fees related to pole kiosk advertisements.
A PCMC official disclosed that the corporation used to charge fees for pole kiosk advertisements but had discontinued the practice. Consequently, the number of hoardings proliferated without regulation. In response to the uncontrolled growth, a letter seeking clarification on fees was recently sent to the town planning department. The official confirmed the receipt of the clarification letter two days ago, signaling a green light for the resumption of the regularization process.
Civic officials revealed that the PCMC’s sky sign department has identified 40 to 50 routes across the city as potential locations for these kiosk advertisements on electric poles. Each road had its tender, and prices varied based on the area. On average, each zone along the road could accommodate between 80 to 100 pole kiosks. The permissible size for a kiosk advertisement on electricity poles is a maximum of 2 by 3.
In November 2021, the civic body’s previous contract for pole kiosk advertising expired, and no new tender was issued. Officials now plan to initiate a similar procedure for gantry advertisements, a move that could generate substantial revenue for PCMC if implemented successfully.
