Billbed initiative for footpath dwellers awaits CDA-RDA’s approval

ISLAMABAD, Sept 23 (APP): A mattress company’s initiative, roadside
bill-beds, that acclaimed global fame for providing peaceful nights to homeless footpath dwellers, is waiting CDA and RDA’s nod to get these
beds installed in the twin cities.
The dual-purpose advertising boards were earlier installed in nine
cities of the country and the plan is an extension adding 75 more bill-beds to the roads of the twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad alongside police pickets.
The Master company’s Managing Director, Shahzad Malik talking to APP
said the company inspired by its motto of ” A good night sleep” designed road-side advertising boards which can function as ordinary billboards in the day but at night they can be flipped to be converted into beds for homeless people. The company,he said, was in consultation with Capital Development Authority and Rawalpindi Development Authority and the
facility will be installed soon after go ahead signal from these authorities.
Malik said unfortunately the number of homeless labourers to major
cities was increasing who come from rural areas to earn their livelihood
and are forced to spend their nights at pavements.
This was the joint initiative of Master Company and Barton Durstine &
Osborn (BBDO) Pakistan, a worldwide advertising agency.
The Managing Director said the bill-beds, to be installed in Rawalpindi-
Islamabad alongside different police check posts, were a donation from the company. Any other organization or department willing to install theses bill-beds, he said, can approach the company as ,” this meaningful comfort for homeless gives us warm and fuzzy feelings.”
“This is an awesome idea and I am sure the homeless labourers must be
thankful to its initiator for their comfortable night sleep after hectic
day jobs” a citizen , Shahbaz Ali said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the company’s this initiative had
earned global appreciation in social media and was later accorded with the Cannes Bronze Medal for clever advertising.
The Indian media especially NDTV (New Delhi Television) had given this
inventiveness a wide coverage considering it a fruitful idea to be implemented in its capital city where nearly fifty thousand homeless spend their nights at footpaths, according to their 2011 Census.