TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Bandung Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) has started to comb through hundreds of illegal cigarette advertising boards in a number of areas in Bandung since yesterday evening. The agency’s regional law enforcer department chief, Teddy Wirakusumah, said hundreds of advertising boards that consist of billboards and neon boxes have been removed for having no permit and were placed in restricted areas.

"The reinforcement of (illegal) cigarette advertising boards are based on two regulations," he said earlier today. The two regulations utilized by the agency are Regional Regulation Number 4 of 2012 on the implementation of advertising boards, and Regional Regulation Number 109 of 2013 regarding the restriction of placing cigarette advertisements along the roads.

Teddy explained that cigarette ads on the streets have to meet a number of requirements: Possessing billboard permits, construction permits for placing pillars and having the proof of billboard tax payment. Other than where the boards are placed, billboards that are viewed to violate regulations are also removed.

Being calculated since January 2012, the Satpol PP has removed approximately 3,000 illegal advertising boards. Meanwhile, according to the Parks and Cemetery Agency’s data, there are 7,000 illegal advertising boards in Bandung. The number also includes other boards besides cigarette advertisements.

PERSIANA GALIH