Illegal advertising threatens traffic safety   A little boy suddenly points up to a colourful advertising banner hanging across Thai Ha Street. The image of a famous comedian being tied to a tree has caught his attention. HA NOI (VNS)- A little boy suddenly points up to a colourful advertising banner hanging across Thai Ha Street. The image of a famous comedian being tied to a tree has caught his attention. His mother who is driving the motorcycle also looks up at the sign, distracted from the busy traffic. "It is too dangerous for me and my child. A banner crossing the road is very distracting to drivers," says Nguyen Thu Hong. This is only one example of hundreds of advertising banners being hung over the streets in Ha Noi across electricity lines, electricity poles, even trees. Many are old and ragged and with unsuitable content. Chief Inspector of the city's Culture, Sports and Tourism Department Nguyen Thanh Phong said the commune's People's Committee fails to take responsibility for the timely detection of violations in advertising. It is virtually impossible for nine inspectors from the department to check every advertising banner in the city, he said. It is the reason why illegal advertising banners and bandrolls are popular in the streets, he said. Hong said it was inappropriate for city streets to have banners using explicit pictures to advertise performances. "They worsen the city's image. What will foreigners think about us when they look at these banners on all streets?" It is worsened by the fact that people only hang them up but don't remove them, she said, adding that most of the banners looked "dirty and tattered". Trinh Quang Sang, a resident in Dong Da District, said some advertisement banners had been written incorrectly. It seems no authorities are paying enough attention to the content of these banners, he said. According to the city's regulations on advertising management, an event such as a conference, exhibition or an art performance is allowed a maximum of 20 advertising banners and bandrolls to be hung for 15 days. Banners are required to be one metre wide and eight metres long, and owners must work with the district-level's culture and information unit to be allocated specific positions. Truong Nhuan, Director of Youth Theatre said the number of banners permitted for each event is often only enough for events thrown by state-owned agencies in a fixed location. He said private events needed more banners to attract larger audiences. On special occasions such as National Day or the International Children's Day, the city becomes overwhelmed with too many banners from one or two months earlier, he said. Nguyen Thai An, Director of Thai Duong Advertisement Company said the cost of each banner was between VND150,000-300,000 (US$7.1-14.2) and that they were an effective way to inform thousands of people when placed at crossroads. She said event organisers were usually required to pay fines, not advertisement companies. Le Son Ha, Deputy Chief Inspector of the department said fines for violations into advertisement banners were between VND10-30 million ($476-1,428), a drop in the ocean when compared with the hefty profits organisers made from events. Four tickets worth VND10 million, out of hundreds or thousands of tickets sold easily paid the fines, he said. According to director of the city's department To Van Dong, the department will focus on advertising banners being hung across roads and bandroll content. The city is also planning to set up a network of 250 locations to hang advertisements to limit violations. The department has also encouraged event hosts to use other methods of advertising, including the internet. Citizens have suggested that stricter punishment is necessary to stop the violations. - VNS