The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) needs to reconsider the siting of billboards in relation to the safety of the public, Executive Director of the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG), Francis Dadzie, has said.
His comments come in the wake of Tuesday’s rainstorm that collapsed some billboards in the capital.
Mr Dadzie, who was not enthused about the quality of billboards in the country, indicated that the AAG wanted to institute some reforms with regards to the mounting of such boards but the AMA kicked against the idea due to its preference for revenue over safety.
“We tried to enforce some of these standards and regulations, but the city authorities opposed us, they didn’t support the concept because of their revenue generation. They were looking at that over public safety issues. It is so easy to put up a billboard like standing by the roadside to buy food in Ghana because the city authorities look at revenue generation as a priority over every other thing,” he noted on Citi FM’s Breakfast Show on Wednesday, February 1.
He was of the view that beyond standards, the rate at which individuals and organisations flout billboard regulations was unfortunate.
“The issue is not solely about standards. The issue is about interference and not conforming to the criteria… The Advertising Association of Ghana is not an exception in all of this. They are also part of some of the illegal works that go out there because they will not conform to criteria by the assembly.”
He is advocating tougher measures in ensuring that no laws are contravened in the processes of installing billboards.
“We need a strong political will to support the agents managing and regulating the outdoors to ensure that these advertisers do no flout the law,” Mr Yankah stated.
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com/100.5FM
