FOR THE first time ever, circuses visiting Lisbon will find themselves subject to strict new regulations governing advertising.
As the traditional circus season begins in the city, Lisbon Câmara has introduced new rules and regulations restricting and reducing the number of places, quantity and type of placards, hordings, billboards, posters and banners that can be used to trumpet the arrival of circuses.
The câmara says that the measure is not aimed directly at circuses on moral grounds or to appease animal rights groups, rather it forms part of an overall plan to reduce and regulate the amount of publicity in the city which, uncontrolled, can give Lisbon an untidy appearance.
Contrary to what has happened in the past, circuses will now have to make a formal request to the câmara to display advertising and state where they wish to display the banners and posters.
Failure to do so will result in the posters and banners being removed and the imposition of fines.
Contribution
On the other hand, Lisbon Câmara said, it was at pains to stress that it valued the economic and cultural contribution that circuses made to the city and hoped to strike a balance between the needs to promote the events and the needs to protect the city from unregulated advertising.
Lisbon Câmara has placed a limit of 170 banners per circus – Atlas, Cardinali and Chen from the average 580-600 banners that have been hung around the city in previous years.
The municipal authority has also limited the places where such banners can be hung: the second circular ring-road, Avenida da India, Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, Avenida Padre Cruz, Avenida Lusíada and Avenida de Berlim.
In addition the câmara is to levy a tax of 10,000 euros for the three circuses for advertising.
According to António Prôa of Lisbon Câmara, the new rules and regulations “should reduce or eliminate the advertising anarchy that has blighted Lisbon when the circuses came to town in previous years”.
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