Several commercial companies are in for a surprise when they realise that their advertisements are no longer towering over the roadsides, as the Malta Environment and Planning Authority embarks on a clean sweep of illegal billboards.
A total of 70 billboards - the vast majority of those lining up the streets - have already been stamped with an enforcement notice and will be removed as from Monday, Mepa spokesman Sylvana Debono told The Times.
The legislation governing billboards has always been a grey area, with responsibility shifting between Mepa and the Malta Transport Authority (ADT). Mepa assumed responsibility of the situation at the beginning of September as the authorities realised that billboards were sprouting out of control all across the island.
All billboards - with the exception of permanent structures and those displaying non-commercial adverts - will be removed by Mepa officials, at the expiry of a two-week enforcement notice.
"We intend to start removing the billboards from Monday and let it be a warning to those that persist with their disregard for regulations," Ms Debono said. She said several billboard owners were under the impression they could keep advertising different products after paying for a one-time permit. Some of the billboard companies had been given a temporary permit by Mepa in the past on the grounds that they would be removed after a specified number of weeks.
"We've looked at each and every billboard and found out that most had paid a one-time fee years ago, left the structure in the same place and constantly kept changing their advertisements."
The advertisers however, some of whom pay up to Lm500 a month, say they were not made aware by the billboard owners that the structure is actually illegal. Some of the companies which lease out billboards argued they were in line with the law.
"I paid Lm500 to Mepa a number of years ago and my billboards are in order - but it's evident that some are flouting the law," said one operator, who preferred to remain anonymous.
Billboard owners complain that the government is not giving them the possibility of regularising their position. Some of them say they have submitted applications to Mepa for the issue of permits for their billboards "but it appears that Mepa is not in a position to process such applications until ADT issues its policy guidelines" on the matter. As a result, billboard owners feel they are faced with a catch 22 situation. They are suggesting that Mepa should take action with regard to existing billboards only after ADT issues its policy guidelines enabling Mepa to consider applications for the issue of permits in respect of billboards.
ADT chairman Gianfranco Selvaggi insisted that billboards have to be aesthetically designed, even if they are located on private land.
He said that new regulations, with strict specifications, were being drawn up and these would enable the erection of permanent billboards, similar to the ones at Malta International Airport.
"What should have been a temporary permit was abused and billboards have sprouted all over the place," he said.