Illegal advertising on the rise in Fourways

The number of illegal posters and advertising trailers along Witkoppen Road has increased, and community members are warned to not be part of the trend.

According to Metro police spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar, Metro police will tow away any trailer displaying illegal advertising.

Minnaar added that community members who advertised illegally would face charges.

“In some areas, the adverts obscure the vision of drivers as they are put in very awkward places, hence, we go around the area removing illegal advertising and the only way the owners of the illegal advert can retrieve it is by paying a R2 650 fine. Trailers with advertising on them should not be stationary,” Minnaar said.

He added that if community members wished to advertise, they needed to approach the City of Johannesburg about the outdoor advertising bylaws.

According to Ward 94 councillor David Foley, there has been a plethora of A-frame trailers that have arrived in the Fourways area over the last year as most of them have been proven to be illegal. “Unfortunately, the Metro police do not have the resources to tow these trailers away as the owners remove the towing mechanism and the metro police need flat-bed trucks to remove them,” Foley said.

He added that the placing of these A-frames are dangerous as they are within intersections  obscuring the view of motorists crossing intersections which has nearly caused a number of accidents and some shaken drivers. “The fines for these bylaw infringements are too low and do not deter the advertisers. The fines need to be increased to deter the non-compliance of this bylaw,” he expressed.

Foley further added that keeping the environment clean and green is important to the community and illegal signage or advertising defeats the purpose.

Details: 011 407 6111.

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