The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has removed unauthorised signages mounted in the median along the Accra Academy stretching from the Kaneshie 1st Light to Darkuman junction in Accra.
The exercise which was spearheaded by the Okai-koi Sub Metro also saw the removal of all illegal structures erected along the shoulders of the road and pedestrian walkways.
According to the Head of Public Relations, Mr Gilbert Ankrah, most of these signages along the roads were without a permit and pose a threat to road safety and hence the exercise to declutter the city.
“Advertisers want to take advantage of every available space to promote and sell their brands, but tend to forget the silent contribution of some of these billboards to the occurrence of road crashes… External distractions appear to play a major role in motor vehicle collisions,” he said.
He said the AMA’s Billboards or Sign-Boards and Advertising Bye-law 2017, which regulates outdoor advertisements in the city frowns on adverts erected on an electricity pole, signs which are located in such a manner as to obscure or otherwise physically interfere with the effectiveness of an official traffic sign, signal or device, or obstruct or physically interfere with the driver’s view of approaching, merging or intersecting traffic, as well as signs not securely affixed to a substantial structure.
He explained that the basic requirements needed in the application process include the company applying for the licences certificate of incorporation/commencement of business, its business Operating Permit (BOP), a list of proposed locations and a photo montage of the areas including Google Map of the proposed areas and a site plan as well as GPS Coordinates.
Other requirements he said were copies of architectural designs and structural drawings of proposed billboards and signages endorsed by a certified architect or an engineer, evidence of insurance cover and written consent from the property owner if the proposed site is on private property and results of geotechnical studies.
He pointed out that after the application was submitted it would be processed within 10 working days of receipt for inspection, assessment and recommendation by the Technical Sub-Committee and forwarded to the Accra Metropolitan Spatial Planning Committee within a month for final decision.
He assured that the Assembly would not hesitate to remove any outdoor advertisement cited at an unauthorised location and cautioned owners of unauthorised billboards and signages in Accra to remove them.
He disclosed that the exercise was been replicated in all sub metros of the Assembly.
