KARACHI, Feb 1: The city government’s revenue department in its ongoing campaign against unauthorized and mismanaged billboards has, so far, pulled down over 400 billboards in various parts of the city.
The drive began on Saturday evening on the directives of city Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, and is aimed at removing all billboards which have sprung up in every nook and corner of the city in a haphazard manner, distracting vision of drivers and posing a danger to lives of people, besides presenting an ugly look to passers-by.
The other motive of the campaign is to bring transparency in the out-door advertising business by updating and computerising the record of all the billboards as, at present, there is no reliable data concerning total number of billboards installed on roads and pavements, located in the limits of the city government as such things would not only help minimise chances of corruption in the CDGK’s local taxes department, but would also help increase revenue of the department, district officer, Hassan Naqvi told Dawn on Wednesday.
In fact, the drive was launched on Saturday evening and till Tuesday, 400 billboards have been pulled down by using heavy machinery and cranes from various parts of the city which include Nazimabad, Rizvia Society, Hawkwesbay, Shaheed-i-Millat Road, Sharea Faisal, Shahrah-e-Quideen, Clifton’s Do—Talwar area, Korangi’s Expressway, Korangi industrial area, Rashid Minhas Road, parts of Gulshan-i-Iqbal,” a spokesman for the city government said, reiterating that the campaign will continue until all billboards are pulled down in the city.
Insiders told Dawn that as a matter of fact the number of illegal billboards far exceeds the number of those mentioned in the CDGK record.
Admitting that the pace of removing billboards was slow, a senior official of the city government’s revenue department said as a matter of fact the task of pulling down a jumbo-sized heavy billboard was not only time-consuming, but the staff have to be extra cautious while undertaking such operations merely to ensure safety of people, as well as to avoid entangling of electricity and telephone wires with the falling billboards.
Asked whether the advertisers who had earlier assured the city government officials that they would voluntarily remove their billboards to facilitate the CDGK’s on-going campaign, an official said their response towards the drive is poor owing to some ‘uncalled for’ and ‘unrealistic’ apprehensions.
Allaying their fears that the challan money which they had paid for putting up a billboard might be wasted, the official said as a fact the City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal, has repeatedly assured the advertisers that such a fee would be adjusted once they are allowed to put up a new billboard as the aim of the drive was to bring transparency in advertising business by ensuring that the advertisement byelaws approved by the city council are implemented in letter and spirit and to eliminate chances of corruption in CDGK’s department concerned.
Agreeing with this scribe that it is the general practice throughout the world that the jumbo-sized billboards and other heavy signboards are not allowed near busy traffic intersections, central islands and at turning of roads and streets as they not only distract drivers but also block the vision of motorists, he replied: “Of course, we will definitely discourage advertisers not to put up heavy and attractive billboards near major traffic intersections, but for this, we will have to bring some improvement in the existing advertising byelaws.”
Asked whether the CDGK’s local taxes department intends to undertake a fresh survey of billboards in the city as, at present, there is no reliable data, he replied in the affirmative.
Quoting surveys carried out long time back by the out-door advertisers association, officials in the CDGK’s local taxes department said according to such surveys there are only around 3,000 billboards in the city and of them, 60 per cent are installed in the limits of different cantonment boards and 40 per cent in the jurisdiction of the city government.
However, a random visit of the city’s main roads and even link roads would show that the billboards which have sprung up near busy and major traffic intersections, flyovers, central islands and even on pavements, is much higher than the number mentioned in the so-called surveys.
PO&MAA: President of Pakistan Outdoor and Media Advertisers’ Association, Mohsin Durrani, on Wednesday, hailed the City Nazim for launching a campaign against illegal billboards in the city.
“Although initially we were earlier against such a campaign, but after having detailed deliberations with the CDGK’s local government department’s district officer, Hassan Naqvi, we have now come to the conclusion that the City Nazim’s drive against mushroom growth of billboards is a positive move as it will not only give boost to the outdoor advertising industry but will also help in bringing transparency in the local taxes department to facilitate advertisers.”
Referring to his meeting, he said that his association has, however, suggested to the district officer not to carry out such a drive in the entire city, simultaneously, but initially select one town and once the drive yields positive results, it can be extended to other towns.”
