Street side billboard prompts safety fear

An advertisement board placed near a crosswalk has sparked concerns among residents that motorists' views of pedestrians may be obstructed.

An advertisement board at the junction of Fatima bint Mubarak Street and Zayed the First (Electra) Street, blocks the view of drivers as they turn right toward a pedestrian crossing. Ravindranath K / Show more

ABU DHABI // Residents fear an advertising board they say obstructs motorists’ view of pedestrians and road users could lead to accidents.

The board is near a crossing with flashing amber lights, located off the junction of Fatima bint Mubarak and Zayed the First (Electra) streets. It is about 1.2 metres wide and 1.8m high.

“Drivers turning right from Fatima bint Mubarak Street to Electra Street are unable to see pedestrians at the crosswalk, which can be dangerous,” said Iftekhar Ahmed, 59, a Bangladeshi-born Canadian electrical engineer.

“Pedestrians do not have a clear view of vehicles approaching the bend.”

Traffic signals and road signs should be visible to motorists from a distance. They must not be obstructed by any means, including hoardings, boards, trees and other elements, he said.

Mohideen Madhar, 36, a driver who works at the Bin Ham Travel building off Electra Street, agreed.

“The pedestrians should be visible to oncoming traffic, but they’re not,” he said. “The board is clearly blocking the view of pedestrians at the zebra crossing.”

Branimir Zezeleg, 42, a ship captain from Croatia who was strolling on Fatima bint Mubarak Street towards the Corniche, said the board should have been placed further away from the crossing.

“Drivers normally give way to pedestrians, but we must stop and look carefully before stepping off the kerb,” he said.

Many countries adhere to guidelines that have been developed to set standards for the design, location, size, shape and construction of road signs, traffic signals and other infrastructure, said Dino Kalivas, chairman of the International Road Federation’s driver education and training committee.

“Compliance with standards can be a problem, including proximity of advertising signs that obscure the road safety signals and signs,” he said.

If drivers and pedestrians are concerned, they should bring such matters to the attention of the local authorities, he said.

At the junction of Muroor and Electra streets, there is a road sign that reads “give way to pedestrians” near the entrance of Al Rumaithy Travel Agency.

“A few weeks ago, I had noticed that the ‘yield’ sign was wrongly positioned as it had rotated about 160 degrees,” said Mr Ahmed, who launched a pedestrian safety awareness campaign in 2014.

“Abu Dhabi’s Road User Code has a list of control signs, including one that ensures that drivers give way to pedestrians crossing at a free right turn lane.”

S M Murshed, 30, a travel consultant at the agency, said he had also noticed it, even before the storm that struck the UAE on March 9.

“I believe the municipality is checking the areas to ensure these road signs are well-maintained for our safety,” he said.

Road safety signs’ position and maintenance is crucial, and Abu Dhabi Municipality has an important role of maintaining these and ensuring they are up to standard, Mr Kalivas said.

“Traffic signs, signals and other infrastructure are there to inform road users of potential hazards,” he said. “They play a vital role in traffic law enforcement and should be properly positioned, maintained and improved over time.”

The Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipal Affairs was not available for comment.