المملكة: Graffiti: a visual distortion that terrorizes cities and threatens the urban landscape

Citizens warned of the growth of Improving the urban landscape in various residential neighborhoods and service facilities. The effects of these behaviors extend to schools, public parks, and fences, placing increasing burdens on municipal authorities and field maintenance teams to constantly address them.

Defacement of cities

Citizen Abdulaziz Al-Turki explained that random writing makes cities lose their aesthetic identity, and distorts facilities that were created specifically to serve the community and provide a suitable environment for residents, indicating that the spread of this phenomenon in the vicinity of schools and public facilities leaves a deep and negative impression on visitors and residents alike. Whether.

Al-Turki added that these sabotage practices are often disorganized, and contain inappropriate phrases or drawings that double their negative impact on the public scene, pointing out that this absurdity weakens the ongoing efforts of the regional secretariats to improve the quality of life and preserve national property and gains.

For his part, citizen Mubarak Al-Hussein pointed out that removing graffiti from roofs and walls is not an easy process as some imagine, but rather requires engineering intervention. Technically, he pointed out that treatment consumes time, effort, and special chemicals, especially if the walls are affected by multi-layer paints or deep drilling tools.

Al-Hussein stressed that these direct infringements incur heavy and recurring financial costs to the concerned authorities to repaint and maintain the walls periodically, stressing that this financial drain constitutes a huge burden on operational budgets that could have been directed to other service and development projects that benefit the people. Society.

Be firm in implementing regulations

In the same context, citizen Saleh Al-Dariwish explained that graffiti reflects behaviors resulting, primarily, from weak community awareness of the importance of maintaining facilities, explaining that some individuals, especially young people and teenagers, drift behind imitating others without an accurate understanding of the legal or societal consequences resulting from their actions.

Al-Dariwish called for the necessity of being firm in implementing regulations and activating the municipal sanctions list; To deter violators and prevent the recurrence of these violations, stressing the importance of strengthening the role of the family and school in establishing the values of respect, in addition to intensifying sustainable awareness campaigns targeting different age groups through various platforms.

Citizen Nawaf Al-Suwailem touched on the negative and direct repercussions of this phenomenon within schools and educational facilities that require a model environment, explaining that turning walls into a space for inappropriate expressions distorts the educational environment and negatively affects the psychological state of students, causing… A bad impression on parents and visitors to establishments.

Al-Suwailem added that these random practices extend to public parks and corridors, which reduces their tourist and recreational attractiveness and limits the optimal benefit from them. He pointed out that the urban landscape is severely damaged when self-monitoring is absent and public property is left vulnerable to continuous defacement without supervision.

Al-Suwailem suggested providing civilized and thoughtful alternatives to contain the energies of youth and express their skills and creativity in positive ways that serve Society, pointing out that allocating artistic spaces and organized murals under the supervision of the competent authorities will contribute effectively to protecting the public landscape and highlighting young talents, while preserving the aesthetics of cities.

Punishments for violators

On the legal level, lawyer Maryam Muhammad stated that random writing is a clear violation of public taste, according to the approved regulations. She revealed that Article Five prohibits writing or drawing on the walls of public places, their components, or means of transportation, unless this is licensed by the concerned authority.

Regarding the prescribed penalties, the lawyer indicated that Article Eight of the regulations imposes a fine amounting to five thousand riyals on violators, noting that the fine is doubled if the same violation is repeated within one year, stressing that the violator may file a grievance before the competent administrative court.

She stressed the need to increase the penalty. To exceed ten thousand riyals; To achieve effective deterrence and prevent the recurrence of transgressions, calling for the perpetrators to be prosecuted and referred to the competent authorities in preparation for their imprisonment, stressing that this behavior represents a visual distortion that requires concerted efforts to control transgressors in the streets and neighborhoods.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter