‘Won’t allow ads on glass panels of Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport buses’

BENGALURU: Not buckling under pressure from the advertisement lobby, the government said it will not allow ads on the glass panels of buses operated by Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport (BMTC).
The move comes in the backdrop of complaints from bus passengers that advertisements on glass panels block their view and make buses look like dungeons from inside.The decision to strip glass panels of advertisements would reduce BMTC’s revenue by about Rs 13 crore per year.
“By September 2018, all the buses will be cleared of advertisements on the side glass panels as the current contract with the advertisement agency comes to an end. Henceforth, ads will only be allowed on the body and the rear portion of the buses,” transport minister H M Revanna told TOI.

In fact, the BMTC board had a few months ago decided against allowing advertisements on glass panels after drawing flak from passengers as their visibility was getting blocked and they could not identify their bus stops while disembarking. Appeals and demands were made by passengers through social media too for removing the vinyl sticker advertisement posters pasted on the buses.
However, the advertisement lobby reportedly started pressuring the government to reconsider the decision. “But we have decided to go by the public sentiment,” Revanna said. Nearly 3,500 buses in BMTC’s fleet of 6,435 buses continue to sport advertisements on the side glass panels.
Revanna said: “In the new contracts with advertising agencies, we have made it clear that stickers can’t be put on glass panels. Accordingly, advertisements in 1,000 ordinary buses and 450 Volvo buses have been allowed on the non-glass portions.”