London transport authority apologises over anti-Pakistan adverts

LONDON: Transport for London (TfL) has issued an apology to Pakistan over an offensive advertising campaign across its network which targeted Pakistan’s sovereignty.

The TfL said an internal inquiry had concluded that Pakistan’s legal position on the issue of the adverts placed on London's transport network was right and clear and Advertising Policy breaches had been found on its part.

The TfL confirmed that it had received the first letter from the Pakistan High Commission on November 2, when the anti-Pakistan campaign was run on London's black taxi service, and then on November 7, when the campaign on red buses was started. 

Papers available with Geo News show that Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry wrote to TfL, focusing on legal points and how rules of Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) and TfL’s guidelines were clearly breached, therefore giving Pakistan enough grounds for a possible legal action.

The inquiry conducted by TfL found that on both occasions, it was TfL’s oversight that these adverts were allowed to go on display. 

Commissioner for Transport Mike Brown said, unfortunately, the Advertising Policy was broken and “for that we apologise."

"We have written to our advertising partners to remind them of their responsibilities in relation to our Advertising Policy," said Brown.

The Transport Commissioner has written to Pakistan High Commissioner Syed Ibne Abbas, stating that an internal investigation “concluded that they were in breach of our Advertising Policy, as relating to matters of public controversy or sensitivity” and the advertising agency responsible for posting these adverts was requested that the adverts are removed as soon as possible.

Brown explained that licensed taxis are only permitted to carry advertisements complying with TfL’s advertising policy and any taxi displaying these advertisements has been issued with an unfit notice by the body's enforcement officers. 

A source in TfL has said that one driver, who refused to take off the advertisement, has been taken off the road.

He explained that all taxis have removed the advertisements and any taxi displaying the same adverts will be issued an “unfit notice” and the driver’s license would be suspended.

The Commissioner explained that on November 7 and 12, the same advertisements were displayed on roadside advertising screens and buses. 

“On each occasion, we instructed our advertising partners to remove these advertisements from our estate immediately.”

The transport commissioner further explained that he has asked all advertisements planned by the advertising agency in question to send to him adverts in advance before they are installed. 

He also said that all advertising agencies working across London's transport network had assured the authority that no advertisement will be carried that does not comply with the advertising policy.

A TfL spokesman confirmed that organisers of the campaign had submitted an amended version of the advertisement for approval. The spokesman added that it has been rejected and all advertisers have been told not to display the amended adverts.

Brown has assured Pakistani authorities that no similar adverts will be allowed in the future.