'Hoardings contribute to road accidents'

'Hoardings contribute to road accidents'
Monday April 16 2007 05:53 IST

BANGALORE: Umpteen hoardings, some brazen and some suggestive, must share the blame for increasing road accidents in Bangalore, say motorists.

The huge bills and hoardings cover a wide range of subjects from promotional advertisements to art events. Both sides of the busy streets are bristled with hoardings that distract morotists and cause accidents.

Commuters say while bumpy roads and poor lighting conditions contribute to road mishaps, the eye-catching massive hoardings play no less a role.

It is a high-time steps are taken to stem the trend Regulars of the city streets wanted the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike(BBMP) and government to enforce strictly the hoarding laws. Mere categorising areas into various zones will not do. The authorities are duty-bound to make sure that violators are penalised heavily.

"Film hoardings claim a large portion of the open space available along one side of the railway track.

"They block the view and cause many accidents, road users say. In the absence of regulatory laws, hoarding makers go bolder each day coming out with more glitz and brazen advertisements that distract motorists", says Gayathri G, a student.

Jai K, a commuter observed, "The government had once said that the political parties should not install hoardings anywhere in the City. But the order is a deadletter. Political hoardings are as massive and eye-catching as commercial advertisements."