Karachi commissioner orders immediate removal of billboards
Order given after video of horrible hoarding accident goes viral
After a video clip went viral showing two motorcycle riders horribly struck by an advertising billboard during heavy rain in city, Karachi’s Commissioner Iftikhar Ali Shalwani has ordered immediate removal of billboards all over the city to save human lives.
It is learnt the video clip in question depicts the famous Metropole Road intersection of Karachi where on Friday an advertising billboard during heavy rain hurtled from a building due to high speed wind and struck two riders on a motorcycle who immediately fell on the road in a terrifying manner along with their twowheeler conveyance.
The accident halted traffic midway on the main road of the city as people rushed to rescue the two riders, who were treated for their injuries and discharged from hospital.
The video clip was widely shared on social media as people termed it the most frightening accident of current monsoon season in Karachi.
The order issued by the office of city’s commissioner asked various municipal and civic agencies in Karachi to immediately remove billboards in their respective jurisdiction. In the past, falling billboards during extreme weather conditions caused fatal accidents in the city.
The issue attracted the attention of the Supreme Court of the country, which earlier ordered removal of the billboards and advertising signboards from the city to ensure public safety, after which the problem was controlled to a large extent.
Revenue generation
The main issue is that the city is being controlled by too many civic agencies including cantonments and federal landowning entities as there is no uniformity of municipal by-laws to regulate affairs of Karachi including the issue of billboards. Advertising hoardings and billboards were a major source of revenue generation for the cash-strapped municipal and civic agencies of Karachi.