Illegal adverts litter park
SANDTON – The trailer advertisements on George Lea Park South are illegal and a contravention of Metro bylaws.
Several movable trailer advertisements displaying an array of products and restaurants are scattered on the verges of George Lea Park south.
On 20 July, a Sandton Chronicle journalist drove past the park and saw about six different advertisements.
According to Metro police and Johannesburg City Parks, these advertisements are illegal and are a contravention of Metro bylaws.
Johannesburg City Parks’ spokesperson, Jenny Moodley said, “These trailers are not legal and Metro police officers stage regular raids in the area and confiscate these advertisements. Besides the fact that it ruins the aesthetics of the park, they pose an environmental problem.” She explained that these illegal advertisements damage the grass in the park.
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Metro police spokesperson, Edna Mamonyane explained, “For these advertisements to be put up anywhere, permission needs to be obtained from the City of Johannesburg. The bylaws of Metro and the City should be obeyed.”
She said that Metro police officers cannot stop individuals from driving these movable advertisements around, however, the problem comes in when they are placed on the side of the road or in parks.
“There are consequences when these advertisements are illegally placed in the area. We have impounded these trailer advertisements before and their owners have been fined and forced to pay the impound fee.”
Kate Wardle, the deputy chairperson of the Parkmore Community Association said she is vehemently against these trailer advertisements. She said, “Besides the fact that they are illegal, they are an absolute eyesore. Why should we allow these trailers to clutter our public spaces? If people want to advertise, they must go through the appropriate legal channels. These trailers are not only around the park but also on various road corners on William Nicol Drive.”
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She further stressed that she wants to start an ‘anti-trailer campaign’ in her community and wants to use her leadership position to encourage residents to come together and ensure that no illegal advertising takes place in Sandton. “Although these advertisers may not realise that what they are doing is wrong, these advertisements are annoying and unacceptable.
“It makes our area look terrible and we need to crack down on this.”
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