Rather than complaining about new billboard regulations, the GRTU should ensure its members respected the law at all times, the Planning Authority said this afternoon.
The authority was replying to GRTU criticism of regulatory changes concerning billboards, which the GRTU had slammed as "hurried" and "unacceptable." The regulations have also been criticised by the Chamber of Commerce, which said they had been introduced too hastily.
Under the changes, every form of roadside advert will now require a Planning Authority permit and must display the planning authority's reference number. Advertisers will also have to pay a yearly €1,500 fee to Transport Malta.
Earlier this week, the PN succeeded in obtaining court approval to stop Transport Malta and Planning Authority from removing its roadside billboards. The party had argued that the new regulations were effectively muzzling it from spreading its political message. A final decision on the case is expected on April 25.
The Planning Authority said that the changes had been well received by the general public. "In certain instances billboard operators were placing billboards in front of other permitted billboards and many of the said billboards were an injury to amenity," it said.
It didn't mince its words in criticising the GRTU's stance. "Much of what the GRTU is pinpointing as ‘new’ has in fact been the law for a good score of years."
In its original statement, the GRTU had criticised the changes by saying shop signs of 0.5m would now be included under the definition of 'advertisement'. But this had been the case since 1993, the Planning Authority said. Daily fines had also been set by a previous legal notice, it added.
The GRTU had accused the government of throwing all forms of roadside advertisements into one basket.
"The sector...is now faced with a situation where it is not able to honour advertising commitments made before the law was published," it said.
It argued that the new requirements would also negatively impact the design of logos and shop signs, as well as go against franchises' branding rules.
The Planning Authority said that recommendations made at meetings with the Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Billboard Owners would be considered.
"Unfortunately the GRTU has not asked to hold any meeting in this regard," the Planning Authority said.
In its statement, the Chamber said that while it favoured harmonisation of regulations, operators could not be expected to comply with them within a mere six working days.
The Chamber said that it had met with Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri to air its grievances. It will also be making amendment recommendations to the the Parliamentary Secretariat for Planning and Simplification of Administrative Processes.