Sign reading has got a little easier in the capital’s ring-roads, as over third of the city’s ads have been removed from over the Garden, Boulevard and Third Rings.
City Hall had pledged to reduce the ad-count, twice asking ad agencies to take down their real estate, before finally doing it themselves overnight.
The move, however, has not been welcomed everywhere – the city is facing 11 lawsuits from out-of-pocket advertisers.
In July, Moscow authorities promised to remove all banners by the Moscow Day on September 3. The officials say the vast majority of such billboards are illegal anyway, having been erected without permission.
The banners are also said to distract drivers’ attention and spoil the view of the capital.