No general ban on religious advertising in Biel
Religious advertising in and on the vehicles of the transport companies of the city of Biel BE cannot be generally banned for legal reasons. The city government is therefore relying on an agreement whereby the transport companies can have a say in sensitive advertising requests.
A general ban on religious advertising would be unconstitutional, the city government writes in its documents for the next session of the city parliament.
Religious advertising is protected by the freedom of communication and the freedom of faith and conscience. According to the documents submitted to the city parliament, Verkehrsbetriebe Biel VB has no legal means to prohibit religious advertising in and on its vehicles.
In May 2019, the parliament had declared a non-partisan motion as substantial, according to which the municipal council should completely prohibit religious advertising in and on the vehicles of the transport companies, regardless of the sender.
In the future, transport companies will talk to
Religious advertising will be scrutinized more closely in Biel in the future. According to the report, the Allgemeine Plakatgesellschaft (APG) will process the inquiries integrally. An agreement stipulates that APG will consult with the CBs if a specific advertising request is deemed "sensitive" from a legal point of view.
With the corresponding agreement, the city government considers the demand for a ban on advertising with religious Bible verses to be fulfilled. At its meeting on February 22, the parliament is to write off the postulate as fulfilled - i.e. put it on file. The Bieler Tagblatt had first reported on the motion of the city government on Saturday. (SDA)
