Advertising in Vinh city: Lack of detailed planning

(Baonghean) - Currently, Vinh City is rectifying the situation of messy and illegal advertising and classified ads on the streets and in residential areas, aiming towards a civilized and modern Vinh city... In particular, rearranging and re-planning advertising billboards is a necessary task.

Advertising chaosclassifieds

It is not difficult to find classified ads in Vinh City because they are posted everywhere, from electric poles, house walls, gates of units, schools and even in alleys... as long as there are many people living and easy to catch people's eyes. The advertising content is also very diverse, from septic tank cleaning, concrete drilling and cutting to tutoring, recruiting employees... The ads are posted in a "each person has a different beat" style, some places are printed horizontally, some places are printed vertically, and some places the advertising information overlaps each other...

The billboard at Vinh market intersection is still messy.

“One of the reasons why classified advertising activities are difficult to handle is because those who post ads always take advantage of the dark, quiet noon or when there are no people passing by to do so. The subjects posting information are mainly hired workers, so it is even more difficult to punish,” said Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Khanh, Vice Chairman of Hung Dung Ward People's Committee. As a large ward, Hung Dung is the unit with the most establishments posting classified ads in the city. However, these are all establishments that rent business locations in the area, only registering temporary residence or temporary absence, so when discovered and fined, the establishments move to another location. To rectify this situation, recently the ward's Urban Rules Team, together with the police force and cultural officers, have conducted inspections, monitoring and handling of a number of violations. The Youth Union and residential groups carried out a campaign to clean up advertisements and classified ads, but after a short time, the advertising and classified ads recurred. At the cultural house of 20/20 blocks and the ward People's Committee, there is an information board, including a section for establishments to post free classified ads, but it is not effective.

Recently, Vinh City has organized many direct dialogues with the owners of establishments that posted classified advertisements. During the meetings, most of the establishments gave the reasons: small businesses, limited economy, so they do not have enough conditions to post advertisements on other media. At the same time, they promised and signed a commitment not to repeat the offense and to post advertisements in the right places prescribed by the city, wards, communes and blocks, hamlets. Previously, the City People's Committee also coordinated with telecommunications companies to cut off the subscriptions of phone numbers that repeatedly violated. With many drastic solutions, the problem of classified advertisements has been somewhat limited, however, according to Mr. Vu Hong Duc - Deputy Head of the Department of Culture - Sports, City People's Committee: Handling is still difficult because many establishment owners defy the regulations and still repeat the violation, many phone numbers after having their subscriptions cut off immediately change to other numbers, or use junk SIM cards, making it difficult to investigate their identities. Punishing is also not easy because there must be clear evidence. Many people, even though they have signed the administrative violation handling record, when asked to pay the fine, do not do so...

The Law on Advertising clearly stipulates that the placement of billboards and banners must comply with regulations on historical and cultural relic protection areas; traffic safety corridors, dykes, and national power grids; must not obscure traffic lights or public signs; must not be hung across traffic routes and must comply with local advertising planning and technical standards issued by competent authorities. Advertising products displayed on billboards and banners must clearly state the name and address of the person who performed them... However, on the streets of Vinh City today, the installation of billboards is quite messy, from size, content to aesthetic processes. In particular, on main streets such as Phan Dinh Phung, Le Duan, and Nguyen Du, there are dozens of rooftop billboards that are installed incorrectly and lack aesthetics. Some outdoor advertising locations do not have advertising units, so the frames are exposed or the billboards are torn and damaged but not repaired. In addition, there are some billboards that are not licensed but are still arbitrarily hung up, advertising in foreign languages, with font sizes that are not in accordance with regulations. In some prime locations, on main roads, there is a situation of fighting for space to hang signs and billboards.

Advertising on banners and flags is also very messy nowadays. According to regulations, when establishments want to hang banners, they must ask for permission from the ward, commune or city and can only hang them in the right place as prescribed. However, currently, advertising banners in Vinh City are hung across the road, on street corners, too high, and crooked. Even many state agencies, on anniversaries or when there is an activity that needs to be promoted,... arbitrarily hang banners. They are hung until the end of the event but are not taken down, even though according to regulations, a banner cannot be hung for more than 15 days.

Need a synchronous solution

In order to renovate the urban area and beautify the city, the rearrangement and planning of billboards in the city is a very necessary task. "However, this issue is still facing many difficulties, because the billboards are currently installed in the city, monitored and supervised by the city, but according to regulations, the unit that agrees is the Department of Culture - Sports and Tourism, so up to now, the management of billboards in the area without coordination will encounter many difficulties" - Mr. Vu Hong Duc, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture - Sports, Vinh City People's Committee said. Since 2006, Nghe An has planned a system of outdoor propaganda and advertising for the period 2006 - 2010. However, due to the long time of planning, many contents are no longer close to reality. In addition, Vinh City also needs to have a separate planning, which clearly stipulates the size, location and conditions required when installing billboards. Only then can we avoid the current chaotic, unorganized and unsightly situation.

Regarding advertising, banners and streamers, in order to be organized, Vinh City needs to invest in a pole system so that advertising is both aesthetically pleasing and safe. Vinh City is also calling for socialization in advertising activities, thereby calling on businesses to install electronic billboards and signs to serve both advertising purposes for the unit and political and social tasks when the city has a need for propaganda. Vinh City can also learn from the model in Da Nang City when it established a team to manage advertising information work. In addition to regularly checking the installation and use of billboards, this team also dismantles incorrect billboards and banners that have expired and are allowed to collect money from businesses and units.

Regarding classified advertising activities, the city has issued Directive 01/2013/CT - UBND. In which, launching a movement for the whole population to participate in maintaining environmental hygiene, building green, clean blocks, hamlets, and residential areas without classified ads, ensuring urban aesthetics. Directing mass organizations, blocks, and hamlets to regularly remove and erase all types of classified ads in the area. Each ward and commune builds a street without classified ads. At the same time, actively propagandize and mobilize households, organizations, and individuals operating business services with advertising needs to strictly comply with the provisions of the law and advertise in the right location of billboards planned and built in the locality. Strengthening patrol and monitoring forces and thoroughly handling cases of violations or repeated violations, establishing a 24/7 hotline to support the civil defense force and residential groups when performing their duties. Coordinate with the Telecommunications Center to verify and track down phone numbers and violators of advertising, posting, and graffiti on public works for handling such as cutting off phone subscriptions or revoking business licenses for units and enterprises that repeatedly violate. Plan to assign tasks to wards and communes to strengthen inspection and handling of violations. Units that are not resolute or not serious will be included in the year-end classification criteria.

My Ha