There has been an increasing number of illegal street signs and advertisements in New Providence over the past 10 years, according to Michael Major, director of Physical Planning in the Ministry of Works and Utilities.
Mr. Major said Tuesday that only signs approved by the ministry should be erected and all others were in violation of the law.
According to the Ministry of Works Control of Advertisement Rule of 1964, perpetrators can be fined up to $400.
Mr. Major said the $400 fine is open to interpretation because it could mean a $400 fine for each ad or just a $400 fine in total.
He said once the ministry is notified the ads are removed.
“We see them during our regular inspection and sometimes persons bring it to our attention and once it is reported we receive assistance from the Ministry of Works to remove them,” Mr. Major said. “Sometimes we are able to locate perpetrators.”
Mr. Major said perpetrators are given a letter which requires them to remove the illegal ads in 14 days. However, he said, “In most cases, we just remove them.”
Permission to put up public ads can be received through a request at the Ministryﾒs Physical Planning department by writing a letter of request. Once approved, the applicant is granted a 14-day period in which to put up their signs.
However, Mr. Major said only ads for civic and cultural organizations get approval.
“In the law it says non-commercial purposes, meaning religious, education, cultural, social or recreational,” he said.
But not everyone is bothered by the illegal ads.
Crystall Moxey, a fitness trainer, said the ads keep her updated.
“Basically, I think that the places where they put them (ads) all the time (arenﾒt appropriate), but I look at them, and I do appreciate the fact that I know whatﾒs coming up in the future, whether it be a concert, whether it be Christian, whether it be anything in that form, I have no problem with it,” Ms. Moxey said.
Quentin Percentie, a cooperative officer, said the ads in New Providence are acceptable to promote events, but said the government needed to caution marketing agencies on illegal promotions.
“Generally, they serve as an opportunity to give the Bahamian public an opportunity to know exactly what is going on in The Bahamas, but then again, if the advertisement signs are illegal the government should crack down on those illegal advertisements,” Mr. Percentie said.
Other members of the public, like Natalee Dias, who said she is currently unemployed, said she really doesnﾒt notice the ads that much.
“To be honest, I see very few ads around at all. The odd ones I see for concerts are small and pasted to trees or lampposts. I would not have any idea if they are genuine,” Ms. Dias said.
On the other hand, Valerie Smith, a trained clinical nurse, said, “They are there because the authorities see the signs, and they do nothing about them. Those persons who place them there they do so illegally, and they are left long after the event has passed, and that too is illegal. I think something needs to be done about that,” Ms. Smith said.
Meanwhile, Frank Gilbert, a retired law enforcement officer, said he was more concerned about the questionable content of ads that children were exposed to.
“I believe based on the content the ministry would not have approved a lot of them, and so yes I believe that we need to investigate those thoroughly so persons would not put the wrong type of ads up to be seen because you have all types of young persons seeing them, especially at the bus stop,” Mr. Gilbert said.
By: Perry Scavella, The Bahama Journal
