LED billboards to adorn 8 more roads

PHA says this will prove to be an effective marketing tool

LAHORE: Lahore is truly turning into a city of lights as the Parks and Horticulture Authority, after a successful experiment on two roads, has auctioned the rights to install electronic streamers on eight more thoroughfares.

This will be another visual addition as soothing ambient lights will be placed on the underbelly of flyovers and in underpasses of Lahore. Also, glowing butterfly-shaped lights will adorn streetlight poles.

Sixteen companies competed for the auction. According to PHA, some 399 electronic streamers will be put up with an independent power connection from LESCO and a backup generator to keep the electronic streamer glowing, even during a power outage.

According to PHA, these eight main roads are Gulberg’s Noor Jehan Road which was auctioned for Rs13 million and where 27 SMDs will be installed. There is Park Lane Road/Qarshi Road which was auctioned for Rs25.55 million and where SMDs would be installed on 89 poles. Garden Town Main Boulevard was auctioned for Rs14.5 million and will see the installation of 40 digital streamers. Jinnah Hospital to Kareem Block (Extension of Moulana Shaukat Ali Road) was auctioned for Rs6.7 million and screens will installed on 44 poles.  Allama Iqbal Town Road Main Boulevard (from Bhekawal Chowk to Moon Market) was auctioned for Rs13.05 million where 42 screens would be installed, while Mall Road (from Mian Meer Bridge to Club Chowk) went for Rs25 million and 97 screens would be installed,

Model Town Link Road was auctioned for Rs7.1 million and where 30 screens would be installed. The road from Shaukat Khanam to Wapda Town Roundabout was auctioned for Rs.5.1 million where 30 SMDs would be installed.

Earlier, PHA auctioned the rights to install electronic streamers on MM Alam Road and Mahmood Ali Kasuri Road to a company. According to PHA Marketing Director Sohail Khan, the initiative was largely   appreciated by the public. He added the experiment attracted many companies to advertise on this modern marketing tool.

He said the companies were awarded three-year renewable rights to install electronic streamers (SMDs). The director added the streamers would be installed in 90 days and companies which failed to meet the deadline would be penalised.

He said the companies were given acceptance letters on Wednesday. Sohail continued that backup generators were a must for the streamers. He said even load shedding would not be able to get the better of the advertising tool. He said rights for many other roads will also be auctioned after the successful installation SMDs on these eight roads.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2017.