The presence of hoardings and neon signs — whose exact number is known to nobody — at nearly every traffic signal in the city, bears testimony to the fact that those who put up these structures are doing a roaring business.
Following the division of five districts of the city into 19 Towns, each Town has got its own advertisement department which issues permission and collects revenue.
At present, the Towns are dependent on government grant for day-to-day functioning. Revenue generation through the advertisement department has, therefore, become a major source of income, maintains the Naib Nazim of one such Town.
A rat race for installation of hoardings in violation of all the bylaws is very much manifested on different thoroughfares of the metropolis.
Though the City Government has imposed a ban on new permissions, the installation of new boards goes on unhindered throughout the 19 Towns.
At several busy intersections in the city, trivisions have not only been erected on pavements but even green belts, causing hindrance to pedestrians.
One such trivision has been erected at the triangular pavement opposite Masjid-i-Roomi on Sharea Faisal.
The trivision has been installed in such a manner that free movement on the pavement is obstructed.
The historical significance of Jehangir Kothari Promenade has been marred by the emergence of a number of hoardings of various sizes, creating visual obstruction.
The Nazim of Jamshed Town, Ahmed Parekh, was of the view that advertisers should deposit advance payments in case of accidental loss or injury to the public.
Recently, a man was injured by a falling hoarding and was compensated by the advertiser on the Nazim’s instructions in Jamshed Town.
Officials of the City Government said that earlier, during the period of the defunct KMC, the Sindh government had constituted a task force on municipal services.
Besides other matters, it decided that permissions of all present hoardings would stand cancelled on June 30, 2002.
With the beginning of the new fiscal year, a revised policy with revised rates would be adopted on all the hoardings, sources in the City Government said.
The sources also said that some big Towns are against the adoption of uniform advertising rates, contending that their potential of revenue generation would suffer as they have more prime locations.
For instance, Sharea Faisal and Shaheed-i-Millat have prime locations which have more commercial value.
Similarly, Saddar Town has numerous such commercial sites which yield revenue.
“Saddar or Jamshed Towns could not be compared with Gadap or Korangi Towns as far as their potential of revenue generation through hoardings is concerned,” maintains Ahmed Parekh.
Advertisement rates should be fixed considering the commercial value and business activity of the respective Town, an official said.
During the last fiscal year, the defunct DMC East generated Rs11.9 million under the head of advertisements.
Jamshed Town, which was under the defunct DMC East, has set a target of Rs12 million under the same head for the current fiscal year of Aug 2001 to June 30, 2002.
As far as revenue generation in the hoarding business is concerned, the middleman who buys the site or location from the Town and puts it up for rent makes the most out of it.
The government gets peanuts in terms of revenue generation from the hoardings, whereas the middleman takes home 100 per cent profit,” a City Government official remarked.
In contravention of the bylaws, sites of immense commercial value are never sold in public auctions.
Such sites or locations are purchased by the middleman at relatively cheaper rates, which they rent out to the third party, reaping massive profits from their clients, another official confided.
During the tenure of the last KMC administrator, the advertisements rates were revised.
Following tariff revision, the advertisers went to court for stay against the hike.
Later, rates were reconsidered and refixed from Rs10 to Rs25 per square foot, which are still enforced.
In sharp contrast, the advertisement rates charged by Cantonment Boards are much higher.
The Clifton Cantonment Board charges from Rs250 to Rs600 per sq ft, depending on the location. Whereas on rooftops of private buildings, the rates vary from Rs120 to Rs180 per sq ft, said a CCB official.
As far as the Defence Housing Authority is concerned, all matters relating to the hoardings in its jurisdiction are dealt by the CCB.
The Sharea Faisal Cantonment Board charges Rs100 per sq ft. The rates have been revised from Rs48 per sq ft.
However, a formal notification is awaited from the headquarters in Islamabad, a Cantonment Board official told Dawn.
At the same time, the authorities concerned are considering further enhancement in tariff rates — upto Rs150 to Rs200, officials said.
Regarding new permissions for hoardings, the official said that currently there is a ban on the issuance of new hoardings in Sharea Faisal Cantonment limits which begins from Karsaz and ends at Malir Halt.
Referring to the dispute between the Civil Aviation Authority and Sharea Faisal Cantonment Board, the official said that perhaps the country’s largest hoardings have been erected at the Quaid-i-Azam International Airport, but revenue generated from them is collected by the CAA.
Formal correspondence over the issue has already taken place between the two authorities, and the matter has been referred to Islamabad, the official maintained.
An official of the Karachi Cantonment Board also confirmed a ban on the installation of hoardings and added that rates are being revised from Rs52 per sq ft.
He pointed out that besides Cantonment Boards and the City Government, other agencies such as Station Headquarters also issue permission and collect revenue generated from hoardings.
Town planner, Arif Hasan, said that everywhere in the world, there are some ethics and rules for advertising.
He said that erection of hoardings has created a claustrophobic atmosphere in the city, as open spaces and trees are fast disappearing behind massive advertisement boards.
The unplanned erection of hoardings also tends to block wind and the view from highrise apartment buildings, he said.
Moreover, they also pose a traffic hazard, as drivers often get distracted by them while driving through busy intersections, he added.
A senior citizen was of the view that the hoardings should have some reasonable and specific size and should carry a public service message at the bottom.
According to the proposed bylaws for hoardings and signs supposed to be implemented from the next fiscal year, no sign or advertisement should be so designed or displayed if it is detrimental to the environment — artificial or natural — or to the amenity of the neighbourhood by reason or either size, intensity, frequency, illumination, quality of design or materials, or for any other reasons.
Similarly, if it constitutes a danger to any person or property and if it displays any material which, whether in form and/or content may reasonably be expected to be offensive to the public or an identifiable class of persons.
The hoarding would not be allowed where it may obscure or conceal from sight any other sign approved in terms of these bylaws, or in any way impair the visibility of any road traffic sign or cause the driver to be distracted.
Referring to the spacing of hoardings, the bylaws suggest that at thoroughfares, the spacing of hoardings must be at least 300 feet apart, on the same side of the road and on a straight section.
On minor roads, spacing of hoardings should be at least 250 feet.
Hoardings at intersections controlled by traffic lights shall not contain colours such as red, orange or green.
This proposed bylaw is being openly flouted at every major traffic intersection, as most of the mega hoardings contain these proscribed colours.
As far as illumination is concerned, lighting of hoardings is permissible with constant light.
Flashing sign is prohibited for any type of hoarding, as it may create a traffic hazard.
According to the proposed bylaws, traffic flow should not be impeded during erection and servicing of hoardings on a public road unless prior permission has been obtained and necessary precautions are taken.
The bylaws suggest that super hoardings may be offered through public auction, if deemed beneficial to the licensing authority.
The rates of super hoardings shall be equal to twice the rates prescribed for hoardings and shop signs.
Regarding the size of super hoardings, the proposed bylaws suggest that it should not be less than 20ft x 60ft, should have clear height equal to or more than 40ft, but to a maximum of 50ft.
Referring to the electrical requirements, the bylaws suggest that no sign be illuminated except by electricity from mains of the KESC and shall not be connected to such supply without written permission from the relevant electricity supply department of the KESC, who shall supply electricity load on production of NOC from the licensing authority.
The cost of electricity connection fittings and other expenditure relevant to energize shall be incurred by the licensee who shall also be liable for payment of electric connections charges directly to the KESC.
Moreover, the licensing authority or the agency shall not be a party in the event of any dispute, arbitration or litigation between the licensee and the KESC, the bylaws maintained.
Referring to the ban of installation of hoardings or signboards, the bylaws suggest that these shall not be permissible in the dividing island, central median, carriageway or in the triangular island.
It will be lawful for the licensing authority to remove or cause to be removed any advertisement or sign creating distraction in the smooth flow of traffic, distorting the drivers’ attention or that which has become controversial on religious, moral, ethical or social grounds, after giving an opportunity.
