Lusaka City Council (LCC) threatens owing billboard oweners

The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has threatened to revoke licenses to defiant bill board owners who do not pay levy to the Council.
LCC Acting Public Relations Manager (PRM) Mulunda Habeenzu said the bill boards in question will be razed down and re-allocated to new owners.

Mr Habeenzu said the council only wants serious owners and not defaulters as the local authority was losing out huge sums of revenue through non-payment of bill board levies.

Mr. Habeenzu was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka May 14th.

“The council will revoke the license of all defaulters, advertise the space and re-allocate to serious renters or alternatively raze down the bill boards for owners who owe us a lot of money,” Mr Habeenzu said.

He however, could not disclose how much the council is being owed but quickly pointed out that notices were issued out and a time frame was given to the defaulters in which to settle out-standing balances.

Mr Habeenzu further said that clients have allegedly defied the notices given to them as they are not complying with the LCC.

And Mr Habeenzu has defended the council on the bill boards that are erected at points that are likely to disrupt motorists on the road.

Mr. Habeenzu said guidelines are given to people and organisations mounting billboards to avoid loss of lives.

The LCC- PRM however admitted that the local authority had received numerous complaints regarding the location of billboards which are likely to disrupt the concentration of motorists on the road.

Some Lusaka motorists have joined the Road Traffic and Safety Agency (RTSA) in complaining about huge billboards that are erected close to roads saying they are a risk to road users.

The Agency named the roads ‘notorious’ for bill boards that are obstructing motorists’ view as Kafue, Great East and Addis Ababa.

According to RTSA statistics, Zambia recorded over 2,000 deaths from road accidents in 2012 alone, half of these accidents happened in Lusaka.

In a bid to step up road safety in the capital city, RTSA has introduced a toll free number, 983.

On pedestrians, Mr Habeenzu urged the pedestrians to use designated points or use the foot bridges whenever they are crossing highways specifically on Kafue and Great East roads.

“There are two foot bridges on Kafue and one on The Great East, but people still want to use the main road which is not safe at all,” Mr Habeenzu said.