TRADERS across Carmarthenshire could be fined over pavement advertising boards after a visually impaired woman was injured in Carmarthen.
The woman’s white cane became lodged under the advertising sign and she fell over onto the board, damaging her hand and knee.
While they are an efficient method of advertising, A-boards can be hazardous to members of the public by forcing them off the pavement and onto the road.
The council, which has a duty to keep the highways clear, is asking for traders to cooperate, and officers are visiting businesses to remind them of council policy regarding pavement advertising.
Businesses which fail to comply with these regulations will receive letters warning them to remove the signs. If they do not comply, council officers will remove the boards, and charge the businesses for the costs incurred.
Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said that he hoped traders would cooperate with the council: “It is also for their benefit as they could put themselves at risk of public liability claims which would not be covered by their insurance.”
Explaining the council’s stance, Cllr Jones said: “We often receive complaints from disabled groups regarding A-boards; whilst I understand times are hard for local businesses, the safety and wellbeing of the public must come first.”
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