CALVIA COUNCIL CRACKDOWN ON TICKET TOUTS

CALVIA Town Council has come to an agreement with discotheque proprietors on whether or not they can erect advertising billboards to market their premises. It is now considered legal for such leisure companies to advertise from 9pm to 2am the following morning, as long as they put up such material in front of their premises and don't get in the way of other surrounding businesses such as souvenir, jewellery and cosmetic shops. Isidre Cañellas, the mayor's Commerce deputy, also reported yesterday on the Council's crackdown on operators who are commonly known as “ticket touts”. Such racketeers function on a freelance basis in much-frequented public areas without representing any one company in particular. They become skilled at “trapping” tourists who are on their way to or from the beach. Cañellas announced that this year, 164 advertising licences will be granted throughout the municipality, and that the number of “touts” which any individual organisation is allowed to use will depend on the size of the premises and on the number of staff employed. The Councillor went on to explain that another section of agreement reached with leisure companies was on the creation of the post of “public relations coordinator who would act as a watchdog on whether or not entertainment organisations were living up to the facilities and service timetables promised in their advertisments.