Growing number of advertising boards causes concern

After months of trying to ignore the number of advertising boards, a resident from Vyfhoek felt it was getting out of hand.
“The boards seem to be getting bigger and bigger but only use the font on a small space; it’s just not necessary. They are covering the green strips in our town,” resident David Macnab said.

Macnab’s concern is that the boards will soon turn the small town into an industrial-looking area.
“If competing companies respond in kind, and other companies follow suit, we fear that our town is destined to lose all its character to super-sized, tasteless advertising boards,” Macnab said.

“A number have sprung up in Henny Bingle Street, Govan Mbeki Drive near the Duet church, and on MC Roode Street, just past the Mozart Street intersection,” Macnab explained.
Along with other residents, Macnab says he finds the ads intrusive eyesores and wonders how the municipality could allow such unsightly objects.

The ward councillor, Werner van Onselen, confirms that over the last few months, more and more large advertising boards have gone up in Potchefstroom, specifically in Ward 23.
“As a ward committee, we have tried to assist the residents and the companies responsible for erecting the boards as best we can,” van Onselen said. He says he has even gone as far as speaking to most business owners to rectify the issue.
“I sent company owners the bylaws on advertisements within the municipality and all the relevant information and processes needed for compliance.

The municipality is responsible for enforcing the law in cases of non-compliance,” van Onselen explained.
Van Onselen said he had received several complaints from residents, stating that some of these boards obstruct their field of view when driving.

“This is a great concern and an ongoing battle for ward councillors as service delivery in the municipality deteriorates even further,” he said.
Ward councillors need to work harder to get the most basic bylaws enforced and services rendered to their communities. This lack of law enforcement has now become a safety issue,” he added.
After several attempts to get a comment from the municipality, the spokesperson had not responded in time for print.