Abu Dhabi: Illegal advertisments and handwritten posters on buildings, walls, lamp posts and even at bus shelters in the capital are making residents see red. They say the ads are spoiling the beauty of the city.
The adverts are mostly classifieds for accommodation, bed spaces, housemaids and jobs. The practice of fly-posting remains unchecked despite the municipality’s clampdown on the illegal hoardings and posters in Abu Dhabi city and its suburbs.
“It looks ugly,” said Marline Baricanosa, a Filipino expat. “Instead of putting their ads in newspapers or other platforms, people are using public places for personal use. They have turned public property into free classified space,” complained Baricanosa.
Complain through app
Pakistani Ahmad Siddique said he has registered a complaint through the government’s Cityguard app about the illegal posters.
“The lamp post in front of my grocery shop and the walls of the adjacent buildings are filled with these ads. Some are even torn but new ones keep appearing,” said Siddique, a grocery worker.
He said authorities should crack down on illegal ads as they reflect badly on the image of Abu Dhabi as a cosmopolitan city. “Those putting out the ads know they’re breaking the law, but assume the only penalty is the loss of a cheap sign. That’s a negligible price to pay for getting high visibility for a few days,” said another resident.
Even though these illegal classifieds are looked upon as an eyesore, some residents think they are useful. “I do not read newspapers. These ads helped me find a part-time job in an electrical shop,” said Moideen Haji from India.
Bangladeshi Usman Abdulhaq said many workers comb through these posters to find affordable accommodation.
“We live in shared rooms in the city. If we have to look for a new place, the first thing we would do is look up these ads,” said Abdulhaq. The civic authorities on their part are continuing the campaign to end the illegal practice and have stressed the importance of complying with laws and regulations governing the use of public facilities, streets and roundabouts. “The Municipal System in Abu Dhabi calls on all community members to contribute to realising these objectives and abstaining from installing such illegal signs as they pose a threat to the traffic safety and mar the outlook of streets, roundabouts, facilities and infrastructure,” said the municipality in a recent press statement.
