As the Capital Development Authority (CDA) eschews its responsibility, sky-scraping billboards on the high-rise buildings of Blue Area continue to pose a serious threat to the public.
Despite the ban on sky-scraping advertising hoardings and billboards, one can easily find out theses large billboards on high-rise buildings of Blue Area installed in violation of the CDA’s orders. Although some billboards have been installed by an advertising company at safer places, the building owners, for their own financial interests, allow the local and multinational companies to install signboards on their rooftops.
These huge billboards on prominent buildings of the twin cities are dangerous for everybody, be it a commuter, a bike rider, a pedestrian or a shopkeeper. The CDA should ensure that billboards are installed only at safer places and its rules are strictly complied with, said Shahid Akhtar, a commuter.
No doubt, these billboards and signboards add to the beauty of a locality, create awareness among the general public and also prove a good source of revenue for the government, but these should be installed away from the residential areas and markets since they have caused a number of fatal accidents. Signboards on the rooftops can also damage the buildings.
Besides, these huge signboards are being used to malign politicians, which cannot be justified. The installation of such billboards is impossible without the backing of the top authorities from the capital and Rawalpindi. Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan took serious notice of this violation at a meeting last month and sought a detailed report in this connection from the CDA.
