Mumbai has launched a year-long campaign to fight illegal flex banners and unauthorised displays across the city. ‘Flex-Free Mumbai for 365 Days’ is a campaign for the removal of illegal flex banners and safer streets and a more visually organised city through the Mumbai Mayor’s ‘Flex-Free Mumbai for 365 Days’ campaign.
Flex banners and unauthorised advertising displays have long been a civic hazard in large cities and in particular are often installed on roadsides, footpaths, public structures, electrical poles and other places that are not licensed. Such displays are often political, commercial, religious and social marketing but not always safe; they can be visual clutter and cause danger.
The new campaign is about enforcement, and not just in a short-term removal exercise. The city will not simply take the banners down temporarily and return to the same places but will keep on going and continuing to monitor them for 365 days. Constant monitoring and enforcement will stop people and organisations from putting unauthorised flex material in public spaces.
The campaign also illustrates the larger issue of maintaining public spaces in a big dense city such as Mumbai. Small barriers and small obstructions can affect the overall look and usability of public spaces with limited road space and heavy movement of people.
During bad weather, illegal flex banners can also be an issue. The large sheets hanging on poles, buildings or temporary structures are more likely to be pulled loose in strong winds, so that pedestrians, drivers and other properties in the vicinity of them may be at risk. Appropriate permissions and installation standards are of importance from a civic-management and public safety perspective.
The ‘Flex-Free Mumbai for 365 Days’ initiative must be observed for unauthorised banners that are frequently up and running. Violations are noted and the authorities can remove them and hold those responsible to account under the relevant municipal rules. The campaign is meant to make compliance a priority year on year rather than being a short-term event or a big civic event.
Mumbai frequently sees a rise in banners and temporary displays around festivals, political events, public functions and celebrations. Without proper regulation, the accumulation of such material can quickly transform public spaces and create additional work for municipal authorities. So a year-round campaign could thus make accountability for people, organisations and advertisers clear.
The initiative also shows the importance of responsible advertising and public communication. Businesses, political organisations, community groups and event organisers can contribute to cleaner streets by getting the necessary permissions and using authorised advertising spaces instead of putting banners in prohibited places.
Cities’ neighbourhoods, major roads and public spaces could be better suited to a reduction in flex banners that are not authorized by the community. And civic infrastructure can be more visible and maintained. In some areas, the removal of unauthorised displays may help to increase the visibility of junctions, footpaths and road corridors.
The campaign is happening at a time when cities in India are increasingly concerned with urban cleanliness, streetscape management and regulation of outdoor advertising. Mumbai’s commitment of 365 days of drive also signals an attempt to treat illegal banners as an ongoing civic issue not a seasonal one.
The campaign will ultimately depend on continued enforcement and monitoring and public engagement. The removal of existing banners is not going to solve the problem if new unauthorised displays keep being found. Regular inspections, penalties where required and awareness of the residents and organisations would help to achieve the long-term aim.
🚨 Mumbai Mayor launched the Flex-Free Mumbai for 365 Days Campaign to eliminate illegal flex banners. https://t.co/Jiof70Or2O
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The ‘Flex-Free Mumbai for 365 Days’ campaign therefore fits with a wider goal to improve civic discipline and the appearance of public spaces. If sustained, the initiative will reduce visual clutter and help people and organizations to follow established rules on public displays.
As Mumbai moves forward with the year-long campaign, residents will be watching how frequently illegal flex banners are identified and removed throughout the city. The longer duration of the programme allows for the establishment of a more systematic approach to the control of unauthorised displays and cleaning of public spaces throughout the year.
