Monday, March 4, 2013

Deadly Billboards...

One only needs to walk along the streets of Accra to see that outdoor advertising has become a very common means of exposing brands and products in the nation's capital Accra. Huge billboards advertising cars, mobile phones, banks, rice etc. can be found all over the city but it is those by the roadsides that command the attention of the viewer, due to their sizes and bright display of colours and creative flexibility. And, considering that it is always there 24hrs a day with no interruption, it is therefore no wonder that many advertisers who can afford it prefer this mode of advertising.

My problem with these billboards however, is how they are mounted and maintained. Have these billboard constructing companies forgotten that we are talking about tonnes of metal that could instantly create havoc if not handled with utmost care and responsibility? Anytime I'm going to the Legon Total Filling Station I say a little prayer as I drive underneath a billboard structure which used to advertise the Huawei range of tablets 
(would have taken a picture but the road does not really accommodate parking). The thing is literally falling apart! I sure hope that a piece (or the whole) of it doesn't decide to come crashing down when someone is driving by; it would be catastrophic! And that isn't the only faulty one I've seen!

AMA, AAG, DDP and the rest of you who work in the billboard construction and mounting industry, I beg of you, our lives are too precious to be risked by ignorance and incompetency.

5 comments:

  1. I got home one night to find the signpost in front of the hospital opposite my house on the ground (and terribly shattered). This signpost appeared to have been made of heavy metal. I shudder to think of the damage, had it been a huge billboard.
    I remember the stories about fallen billboards after the last heavy rains in Accra. I'm sure most of those who put these up don't even take into consideration the direction of the wind smh!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So, the hospital signpost was fixed 2 weeks ago and it rained last night. Guess what happened to it?

      Delete
  2. One of my biggest fears as I sit in traffic jams waiting to move an inch every ten minutes. Hmmm...

    ReplyDelete

I spoke my mind... Now it's your turn..

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails