NO ADVERTISING ON CITY PARKING METERS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29024, 13 October 1959, Page 16

NO ADVERTISING ON CITY PARKING METERS

There will be no advertising on Christchurch city parking meters.

The traffic committee wanted advertising, the finance committee opposed it, so the council was called on to decide last evening. Only Cr. M. McLean, chairman of the traffic committee, spoke in favour of the advertising. Applications had been declined in the past, the traffic committee said, but recently the type of advertising adopted in other cities had improved considerably. Members of the committee who had visited Auckland had commented favourably on the appearance of the meters with advertising signs. The advertising provided a good source of revenue.

“The traffic committee is of the opinion that the modern form of advertising used would not interfere in any way with the tidiness or appearance of city streets and at the same time would provide additional revenue for the council,” it reported.

“The next thing you will want to put signs on the power poles,” sad Cr. W. P. Glue. “Surely the meters pay enough without putting advertisements on the meters.”

The council had spoken adversely against hoardings, and had been commended by the public for that, said Cr. L. G. Amos. “If we put advertisements on our meters we would be cheapening the city of Christchurch. It has been suggested that the return would be £l5OO a year. I don’t think the city is so hard up that it needs to go to that length to get the revenue.”

Cr. L. Christie: The council should set an example. The return is very little. We should not advertise on what we control.

There could be a parking meter outside a shop advertising the wares of a competitor in another

part of the city, said Cr. M. A Connelly, M.P.

“I am very disappointed,” said Cr. McLean. “Either you are shortsighted or you have so much money you don’t know what to do with it.”

She said Auckland was proud of its meters with advertising signs. The advertising revenue could be built up to £2OOO a year, and she said it would be very useful in improving the traffic officers’ quarters.