|
Entering the
Gouves
Township on the old National road from
Iraklion, you swing past the beaches of Amnisos
and Tobruk, and then, as the road rises and hugs the seashore, you gaze to
your left and marvel at one of the most breathtaking views of the Cretan Sea.
However, if you glance to the right,
you’re in for a shock!
In at least three locations, on the
scenic road between Amnisos and Kokkini Hani, there are row upon row of
advertising posters – old, decaying billboards peeling off the concrete
embankments and blowing in the wind – creating a road-full of litter and an
eyesore for passing motorists.
How can such a disgraceful situation exist in our
beautiful township? many readers want to know.
We posed the
question to Municipal Policeman Kosta Martimianaki at his office in town
hall. He told us:
“Officially, the
above picture represents an example of illegal outdoor advertising on public
works surfaces. This particular one is on a support structure of the
national highway. From Estavromenou (Kokkini Hani) to Tobruk there are five
different areas of such eyesores. Although these areas technically belong to
our township, they also involve the district, as they are on the national
road and outside residential areas.”
The patient and
diligent officer called at least six different government agencies,
including the Hersonissos municipal police.
|
These
are the findings: The Township
must write-out a report (including a picture of the offending site) with
identification and tax information particulars of both the advertiser and
the advertising/distribution agency and forward this report to the District.
At the District
level, the report is reviewed by Δ.Ε.Σ.Ε.
(Management for Control and Maintenance of Public Works) and
Τ.Ε.Ο.
Α.Ε.
(National Road-Works Treasury) and a fine imposed.
The legal
department of the National Road-Works Treasury will follow up on collecting
the fine.
However, if the
Gouves Township Council meets and decides on “specific areas” where posting
is allowed, then the fine could be issued by the township without the
District’s involvement. In other words, if the posting is done anywhere
outside of the specified areas, the violators can immediately be liable and
fined by the township.
“Just this once,
however,” Vice Mayor Yiorgos Merambeliotakis told
The Khronicles,
“I have decided to use the township’s crew to clean up these five
offending walls.” The vice mayor, perhaps in keeping with the spirit of the
holidays, promised that it would be done by the end of last month.
“The Khronicles will be able to
show a ‘clean’ picture of the area in the February edition,” he said.
|
