Remnant Socialist Billboards to Be Wiped Away

Bulgarian socialist-era billboards will be removed as they are said to be illegal and a hazard to passers-by. Photo by BGNES.

The Bulgarian Inspectorate at the Sofia City Hall has started to check the facades of Sofia buildings in an attempt to wipe away all remaining socialist-time billboards.

According to the head of the “Control of Advertisement” department, Ivo Penev, some 50 ads from Bulgaria's socialist times continue to be displayed on public facades in the capital.

These remnant billboards will be removed as some are quite rickety and therefore a hazard to Sofia's residents, explained Penev on Monday.

The Inspectorate is also set to probe into the illegal advertisements displayed on the facades of buildings in the center of Sofia. So far 127 such ads – billboards and signs – have been registered along one of Sofia's central streets, Pirotska.

100 of them have already been removed by the violators, while the remaining part is to be taken down in the next couple of weeks as the owners and the tenants of the buildings have said they lack the needed equipment to bring down the billboards.

Three of the violators have been imposed a fine of BGN 300.

Some of Sofia's other central streets – Vitosha Blvd, Patriarh Evtimii Blvd.- will also be object to similar checks

The Sofia Inspectorate is said to have gathered nearly BGN 20 000 in the last year from fines for the illegal display of billboards on public facades or green areas.

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