Illegal flyposting is leaving more than paper behind – it is blighting streets, defacing property and creating a growing clean-up burden across the Capital Governorate.
From walls and shopfront windows to doors and traffic light poles, surfaces are being covered with crudely glued adverts offering everything from ‘rooms for rent’ to quick services, leaving behind stubborn stains that are costly and difficult to remove.
The Capital Trustees Board is now pushing for offenders to be tracked down through the phone numbers and emails printed on the posters and referred to the Public Prosecution, as part of a tougher enforcement drive.
Board chairman Saleh Tarradah said the situation had reached unacceptable levels.
“There has to be a joint government effort to tackle these eyesores, whether from municipal officials, the police or other civil authorities,” he said.
“Nowadays, notices can be shared in far more civilised ways, such as through social media – delivering the same message without leaving glue and damage on public surfaces. What’s currently happening is totally unacceptable. It’s just ugly and unclean.”
He stressed that action can be initiated as offenders often leave clear trails behind.
“They leave their contact numbers and email addresses on these posters. This makes it easier for investigators to identify them and hold them accountable for the damage they cause,” Mr Tarradah added.
Capital Trustees Authority (Municipality) director-general Alya Yousif said municipal teams are regularly dispatched to remove the glued adverts, but the process is labour-intensive and damaging to surfaces.
“Our cleaners remove these glued notices on a regular basis using scrapers and special solutions, but the glue leaves marks that are very difficult to erase,” she said.
“In many cases, new posters are pasted on top of old ones, which makes removal even harder without scratching paintwork or damaging glass and metal surfaces.”
She added that the authority has begun contacting the numbers advertised on the posters as part of follow-up action.
“We are documenting locations, removing the material and tracing those responsible through the contact details they provide,” Ms Yousif said.
The board’s financial, administrative and legislative committee chairwoman Huda Sultan said the residue left behind is often worse than the posters themselves.
“They are an eyesore and so are the bits left behind after their removal,” she said. “Cleaners try to peel them off without scratching or damaging properties, but the glue leaves stains that are very difficult to remove.”
She believes current penalties are failing to deter repeat offenders.
“I don’t think the current punishments or fines are enough, or else the problem wouldn’t keep resurfacing, especially in expat-dominated areas such as Gudaibiya,” Ms Sultan said.
“Tough legal action needs to be taken so offenders – and others – learn cleaner advertising methods.”
Board vice-chairwoman Dr Khulood Al Qattan said the issue goes beyond appearance and touches on respect for public and private property.
“People should not wake up to find their doors, windows or boundary walls covered in glued paper that leaves permanent marks,” she said.
She called for a clear enforcement drive backed by prosecution.
“The solution is not only to remove the posters, but also to stop them at the source by holding those responsible legally and financially accountable,” Dr Al Qattan added.
With trustees pressing for offenders to be referred directly to prosecutors, the message is clear: the era of glue-and-run advertising could soon come unstuck.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))