Bringing consumerism to a new level
I remember a couple of years ago when I was volunteering at an ad-hoc call center of the local chapter of a certain international organization involved in the disaster relief efforts in Myanmar. People were calling in then to enquire about ways they could donate money and if it’s possible to bring it down to our headquarters. Surprisingly, few knew how to get there – but that’s not important. So over and over again I repeated directions to the building, and some still couldn’t get it. So, I took out the laptop, wrote an email to LTA and requested for a signboard to point to the building, which I was surprised isn’t in place yet, given the history of the building. How hard can it be, given that there are signboards to seemingly everything. Well I found out, pretty hard, this is the reply that was given:
Dear Mr Leong
Thank you for your request.
We note the purpose of the signs. However, we are concerned about the safety of road users. Advertisements such as signs displayed along public streets distract road users and pose safety hazards to them. In addition, they clutter the streetscape. In this respect, we are unable to display the signs along Penang Lane.
Please feel free to contact me for clarifications. Thank you.
Lame-O-Guy
Road Infrastructure Management
Road Operations & Community Partnership
Land Transport Authority
I’m kidding about the name – but the rest of the message, has been copied in its entirety. I replied to the message, but never received any reply. So it surprised me that sometime ago, MediaCorp launched a moving billboard – literally. Touted as a new Out-of-Home (OOH) platform, the “On-The-Move Billboard”, features three large display panels: 7.3m x 3m on two sides and 2.1m x 3m on the rear.
So a signboard that points people in the right direction is a distraction and a moving billboard isn’t? Why do we even need a moving billboard in the first place? We have public buses screaming advertisements all over them like those at the bus stops, train stations, buildings, screens all over weren’t enough already. Yet, MediaCorp thought that, oh well, we should put a truck to add some colors to Singapore’s congested road, and add more pollutants in the air with a Mitsubishi Fuso Pre-Euro 4 (correct me if I’m wrong) truck.
If you do not want to be strangled by the chains of consumerism, or be suffocated by the likes of unnecessary pollution, I urge you to appeal to the transport minister to stop this eyesore from polluting our streets lui_tuck_yew@mot.gov.sg.
