Dijon Métropole: alert on advertising in bus stops!
Ladies and Gentlemen, the elected officials of the Dijon Metropolis
By this letter we alert you to the impact of report n°39 “Operation of street furniture – use of a service concession” which is proposed to you during the meeting of December 15, 2022.
You are certainly not unaware that for 15 years the company Clear Channel has been managing the display of advertising on its street furniture, a display that we have repeatedly stated because it is contrary to environmental and climatic requirements (1), as well as by the many ailments induced (2).
The Métropole is currently in the process of acquiring 362 bus shelters and 160 planimeters from Clear Channel, “free of charge”. The only real interest of this acquisition is to be able to manage the display by the Métropole, which is not currently the case. Thus, the local authority may or may not accept advertisers based on social and environmental criteria, as it does very well at tram stops.
We have been calling on you for months to ensure that a good display charter is drawn up in a democratic way, that is to say in consultation with elected officials, citizens, associations, local craftsmen and traders, in order to define which structures might appear and with what messages (3)(4).
Currently, companies like Coca Cola are regularly seen on bus shelters. Coca Cola was recently denounced as the most plastic polluting company in the world (5). Continuing to allow visibility for it on public media will amount to turning a blind eye to this pollution; it would then be a real complicity on your part.
Currently, companies selling individual transport vehicles such as thermal or electric cars are regularly visible on bus shelters. For climatic reasons that need no longer be recalled, these types of transport are absolutely not to be encouraged. Continuing to allow visibility for these types of transport on public media will amount to turning a blind eye to this pollution; it would then be an additional complicity on your part.
Many other examples exist such as with banks (1),…
By this letter, we ask you, in the name of all those concerned about climate change, in the name of the youngest who do not yet have the means to be heard, not to vote in favor of report n°39, we demand to be eco-responsible. This service concession contract as indicated will not change anything in the current situation. The beneficiary will be able to continue to spread the toxic advertisements on the metropolis!
A direct control or an agreement of occupation of the public domain are not to be excluded since the local expertise exists: that of the agents of Clear Channel. Hiring them would be a solution.
It is therefore important not to vote hastily in favor of this proposal. Another proposal could very well be proposed during the next metropolitan council, by recording the need for prior consultation in order to democratically define the future display conditions, for a display similar to that currently visible along the tram.
Receive, ladies and gentlemen, the elected officials of the Dijon metropolis, the expression of our most sincere feelings.
Friends of the Earth Côte d’Or
(2) http://dijon-ecolo.fr/doc-telechargeable/publicite/dossier-stop-pub-AT21.pdf