Billboards along busy roads pose serious threat to public

Rawalpindi : Although government of Punjab has banned installation of billboards along roads, many billboards like the one in the picture at multi-storey parking plaza along Fawara Chowk have been installed in every nook and corner of the city posing grave danger to passersby.

Punjab govt has allowed installation of billboards at least at a distance of 15 feet from the road.

The provincial has also allowed installation of billboards on rooftops but nobody is allowed to installation huge hoarding right along the road creating life threatening situation for passersby.

The residents of the city have expressed immense concerns over the rising numbers of giant billboards in busy and congested localities.

“I am strictly against of huge signboards installed along road sides in every nook and corner of city posing life threat to public particularly for school going children,” Muhammad Rizwan, a senior citizen said. “I feel upset to see students to sit under huge billboards taking some food or drinking water,” he denounced.

It merits mentioning here that the Interior Ministry has already expressed grave concerns and directed civic bodies to take positive steps for removal of huge billboards installed on VVIP routes.

The security agencies in their reports have also said that all billboards installed at roadsides and buildings along Jhanda Chichi, Rawal Road, Ammar Chowk, Kutcherry Chowk, Airport Chowk, Chaklala Air Base Chowk, Mall Road and other VVIP movement routes are security risk round the clock.

Unfortunately, there are dozens of huge billboards here at Kutcherry Chowk posing life as well as security threat. There are many billboards at Benazir Bhutto Road from Saddar to Faizabad, Airport Road from Kutcherry to Koral Chowk, Rawal Road, Mall Road and Jhelum Road.

Similarly, inner city, residential and congested localities including Raja Bazaar, City Saddar Road, Bagh Sardarn Road, Ganjmandi Road, Ratta Road, Dhoke Hassu Road, Dhoke Mangtal Road, Pirwdhai Road, Banni Chowk, Pindorra Road, Shakriyal Road, Khanna Road, Lalkurti Road, Bakramandi Road, Dhamyal Road, Chakri Road, Fawara Chowk, Kohati Bazaar Road, Mukha Sing Estate Road, Dehri Hasanabad Road, Tulsa Road, Scheme-III Road, Asghar Mall Road, Sadiqabad/Muslim Town Road, Adiala Road and several other areas are packed with huge billboards.

“We are in a continuous tension because three huge billboards are installed in front of our house posing a serious threat to us,” Muhammad Latif Shah, a resident of Waris Khan said.

Our children play and pass through this spot all the day, we could not do anything about it, he said. He said that signboards are also not properly fixed.

It is worth mentioning here that city district government, Rawalpindi has taken back all powers from Pothohar Town regarding installation of billboards in the city areas.

The concerned authority has given all powers including tax recovery to Parks and Horticultural Authority (PHA).

Parks and Horticultural Authority (PHA) Director (Admin & Finance) Bilal Rauf admitting all facts and figures told ‘The News’ that they will start a strong campaign against huge billboards from tomorrow (Monday). We will never allow huge billboards along roadsides or in residential localities at any cost, if anybody violated Punjab government’s ban then we will take strict action against them, he warned. No doubt, we are generating revenue through signboards but we could not play with the lives of public, he said.