The Kochi Corporation is taking a hard look at the digital billboards, referred to as master boards, which have recently come up at prominent locations, including major intersections in the city, leaving behind widespread complaints about their placement obstructing pedestrians and distracting motorists.
About 12 large boards mounted on two pole structures have been installed so far, streaming continuous digital advertisements. The company has received a number of complaints about the boards, which are now being considered by the town planning committee.
Although the project to install the main boards was approved by the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF)-led council, it was LDF Parliamentary Party leader VA Sreejith who raised concerns about them at the last council meeting. “Many of these boards encroached on the footpaths, obstructing the movement of pedestrians and at the same time affecting the visibility of motorists to oncoming vehicles. Since the corporation has already received flak from the Supreme Court for indiscriminate boards and flexible boards, it should investigate and remove those boards installed on footpaths,” he said.
Mayor VK Minimol said the United Democratic Front (UDF) opposed the proposal when the previous council approved it. It said that according to the relevant file, approval was granted for 50 large and 200 small boards without specifying their exact location. While the Public Works Department (PWD) opposed the proposal, it was approved at a higher level of the government, she added.
“The Constitutional Committee has been asked to investigate whether these signs have been installed in a way that impedes the movement of the public and whether they do not exceed the permitted size. We must also consider the legal consequences before removing problematic signs or reducing the number of permissible signs, otherwise the company would face a lawsuit. Advertisements on poles used for police cameras and PWD advertisements are also allowed,” she said. We can’t block the roads.
D. Dhanuraj, chairman of the Kochi-based think-tank Center for Public Policy Research, said such boards, which obstruct pedestrians, cannot be allowed, especially considering the lack of footpaths in the city. He added that the placement and installation of these boards should be based on scientific analysis and should be placed high above eye level so as not to distract motorists.
Published – 02 Feb 2026 19:18 IST