Ads resurface on traffic signal poles in Coimbatore, raising safety concerns

Advertisements have resurfaced on traffic signal poles at key intersections across Coimbatore, sparking concerns from road safety advocates over potential driver distraction and visual clutter.

The practice—where advertising agencies maintained traffic signals in exchange for displaying commercial ads on them, often at the cost of road safety—was halted in 2017 following a Madras High Court order directing the government to remove such advertisements, stated a media report.

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S. Ashok Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), noted that blinker lights had been installed at the Red Cross and Chinthamani junctions, with sponsor boards placed by the NGO maintaining them. K. Kathirmathiyon, a member of the District Road Safety Committee, emphasized that any sponsor acknowledgment must comply with size and placement conditions set by the District Collector.

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Kathirmathiyon further pointed out that the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had recently directed the State Government to remove illegal and hazardous hoardings, arches, banners, and flex boards from public spaces. However, despite these directives, large sponsor displays have reappeared at several key locations in Coimbatore—including Race Course, Chinthamani Junction, Oppanakara Street, Avarampalayam Junction, and Perur Road—according to media reports.

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