Concern over digital master boards at junctions creating blind spots, obstructing pedestrians
Kochi Corporation is facing criticism for installing digital master boards at busy junctions that create blind spots and obstruct pedestrian pathways. Local authorities and residents are calling for their removal, citing safety hazards for both motorists and pedestrians.
Why it matters
Urban infrastructure planning often conflicts with commercial advertising interests, directly impacting public safety and traffic management in densely populated cities.
Even as the Kochi Corporation has ordered the removal of advertisement and flex boards that impeded safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians, the number of digital master boards at junctions is going up, creating blind spots and also obstructing pedestrian movement.
The police, NGOs, and residents associations have expressed serious reservations about the matter. “Most of these towering boards that are approximately 1.50 metres wide have been erected at bottlenecked junctions, which have nil or very little space demarcated for motorists to take free-left turns. This often worsens traffic hold-ups at junctions. They also impede safe movement of pedestrians, since many such boards encroach on footpaths and pedestrian pathways,” traffic police officials said.
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