The electronic billboards set up in Angers criticized by ecologists

The about fifteen electronic billboards set up throughout Angers city do not please all of its inhabitants. On Wednesday afternoon, militants of Europe Ecologie Les Verts (Eelv) demonstrated in favor of their disassembly. According to the political movement, these devices are a true "visual harassment" for people. More generally, they thinks these billboards contradict the involvement of the town council in favor of sustainable development while these panel consume energy.

The aesthetic argument is, up to now, the most recognized. Some of the ads displayed on the billboards use flashy colors which contrast with the pale or dark shades of freestone and slate, symbols of the urban architecture. Curiously, while Angers inhabitants have to comply with strict regulations about the choice of colors for a new building or the restoration of an old one, none of the companies interested by the electronic billboards (including Angers city) has such constraint...

According to Eelv, one of the explanations of the arrival of these new medias would be financial. "We understand that a public authority looks for new resources in time of crisis", says Eelv. A contract having been signed between town hall and the JCDecaux company, the city can only suggest that the colors of the ads be less loud.