HÀ NỘI — This Saturday is the deadline for districts in Hà Nội to remove all illegal billboards, but, so far, only a few billboards have been pulled down.

Early this year, Hà Nội People’s Committee Chairman Nguyễn Đức Chung called for drastic measures to address widespread advertising violations, which are said to have damaged the urban face of the city and pose a threat to people’s safety.

According to statistics of the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports, up till 5pm on Tuesday, 25 out of 190 billboards standing on pillars and 73 out of 149 billboards with lights had been removed.

The 10 districts that are removing illegal billboards are Thanh Xuân, Ba Đình, Cầu Giấy and Hoài Đức, as well as Phú Xuyên, Tây Hồ, Nam Từ Liêm and Bắc Từ Liêm, along with Hoàng Mai and Đông Anh.

Thanh Xuân District removed all four illegal billboards in the area.

The eight districts which have not removed their illegal billboards are Long Biên, Đống Đa, Hoàn Kiếm and Hai Bà Trưng, as well as Gia Lâm, Thạch Thất, Sóc Sơn and Quốc Oai.

From August 15 to 30, city inspectors worked with 18 districts guiding them on the procedure to remove the illegal billboards.

The inspectors asked the districts to remove the billboards following Chairman Chung’s request. All illegal posters were ordered to be removed from frames, surfaces and pillars, regardless of the cost.

From now until the end of this month, the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports will join hands with concerned organisations to act as advisors and propose effective measures to the municipal people’s committee to remove the illegal billboards.

The department will make a list of violators, and those repeating the violation will be penalised.

After this Saturday, city inspectors will propose to the municipal people’s committee to set up a task force to put pressure on owners who have not adhered to the deadline. — VNS