Cape Town draft by-law on OOH still too complicated

4 May 2017

Cape Town City has released its revised draft by-law on outdoor advertising but the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry sees it as being still too complicated and full of unnecessary detail.

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“One example is the regulations for neighbourhood watch sign boards,” said Janine Myburgh, president of the chamber. “According to the by-law, the boards have to be 580mm wide and 680mm high. Why be so exact? Why not simply make the dimensions 60cm by 70cm and be done with it?”

The regulations also stated that the board could not be illuminated.

“Why? If any sign should be illuminated it is surely the anti-crime signs in residential areas where some of the worst dangers occur during the dark hours of the night. The chamber believes that these signs should be as visible as possible so that they would act as a deterrent to criminals.”

In her letter to the council, Myburgh also complained about the insistence on the portrait shape of the sign and asked why it could not be turned on its side to give it a landscape shape. “In addition, what about a triangular sign which would emphasis danger? Please leave some scope for creativity.”

She was surprised to see that the council had even come up with exact sized for restaurant chalkboards. “Why? Surely, this matter could be left to common sense. The city would make a laughing stock of itself if it tried to prosecute a restaurant because its chalkboard menu was 10cm too wide.”

The chamber said it understood the need for some form of control on outdoor advertising but it was difficult to escape the impression that "control freaks" were at work and there was too much emphasis on petty and excessive regulation.