Due to delays in leasing, sidewalks continue to be encroached upon.

While sidewalk usage fees have been implemented in Ho Chi Minh City for a long time, the plan has yet to be approved in Hanoi . Sidewalks on many streets are still being occupied indiscriminately, forcing pedestrians onto the road.

Pedestrians were pushed onto the road.

According to observations by reporters from Giao Thong Newspaper, after a period of vigorous campaigns to reclaim sidewalks for pedestrians, the encroachment on sidewalks and roads for trading purposes has recurred in Hanoi's inner districts.

The encroachment on sidewalks for commercial purposes has recurred on many streets in Hanoi after Tet. Photo: Ta Hai.

In streets like Hang Ma, Luong Van Can, Hang Buom, and Hang Gai in Hoan Kiem district, numerous businesses display their goods haphazardly, leaving no space for pedestrians. Residents and tourists are forced to weave their way through the flow of vehicles on the road.

"The encroachment on roads and sidewalks makes the image of the capital less appealing in the eyes of tourists. People are forced to adapt to the crowded conditions on the roads," Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong (Hoan Kiem District) expressed.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tuan Khien, Deputy Head of Trang Tien Ward Police, stated that sidewalks are closely related to people's livelihoods, making enforcement difficult.

"The local authorities are developing plans and policies to arrange business households, create social welfare conditions for people in the area, while still ensuring convenience for tourists and locals for recreation and entertainment," Lieutenant Colonel Khien said.

Similarly, on Thai Thinh street (Dong Da district), businesses freely use sidewalks and roadsides for trading. Notably, many households have been fined before but still brazenly violate the regulations.

273 streets are eligible for sidewalk rental.

Regarding the expansion of sidewalk fee collection on hundreds of streets in the capital, Mr. Vo Nguyen Phong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Construction, said that during the project development process, surveys have identified 273 streets that meet the conditions and criteria for temporarily using a portion of the sidewalk for business and vehicle parking.

The project is developed based on the experience of managing, exploiting, and using roadways and sidewalks for purposes other than traffic in several countries around the world such as the United States, France, Singapore, etc., as well as in some localities in Vietnam such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An ( Quang Nam ), Hoan Kiem district (Hanoi)...

Explaining why the project has not yet been implemented, the leader of the Hanoi Department of Construction said it will be submitted in the second quarter of 2025: "The project is currently being drafted and feedback is being sought from members of the drafting team and from districts and communes. This is a very complex issue and requires careful research because each street and each district and commune has different characteristics and features."

According to Mr. Trinh Hoang Tung, Vice Chairman of the Hoan Kiem District People's Committee, the district has prepared the necessary plans and conditions for the pilot implementation.

Accordingly, the district will focus on issuing management regulations with specific provisions, identifying necessary criteria, eligible streets, and regulations on business types and operating hours. This will be made public so that people are fully aware of it.

"We will categorize the streets into groups such as those serving tourism , pedestrian streets; streets with controlled business activities; and streets for parking. The project will not be implemented on sidewalks around offices, agencies, and schools. During the pilot phase, the district will determine the area to be used for each street, conduct regular monitoring, and gather public feedback."

"It is expected that once the competent authorities grant permission, the district will pilot the project on Quang Trung Street for 6 months, after which it will study and learn from the experience to be able to implement it widely," Mr. Tung affirmed.

Strict management is needed.

According to architect Dao Ngoc Nghiem, when implementing sidewalk fees, Hanoi needs to pay attention to the scope of the project, as it cannot be applied to every location.

Most importantly, conflicts and disputes must be avoided during implementation, because the use of sidewalks and roads involves many parties and impacts people's lives.

Former Deputy Director of Hanoi City Police, Bach Thanh Dinh, also suggested that the project needs careful study of the characteristics of each street and a suitable timeframe for effective implementation. For example, some streets are suitable for business during the day but ineffective at night. Some streets experience traffic congestion in the morning, and using part of the road and sidewalk for parking is not feasible.

"It's not just about granting licenses; there's also the need for organized management, for example, determining what goods can be sold, who will inspect and supervise, and how to maintain regular operations. Then there's the issue of waste disposal and how to ensure urban environmental protection. Furthermore, we need to prevent situations where tattooed individuals act as parking attendants, charging excessive fees," Mr. Dinh suggested.

Among the list of 273 eligible streets meeting the criteria for sidewalk rental, there are streets such as: Ly Thuong Kiet, Quang Trung, Tran Hung Dao, Hai Ba Trung, Da Tuong, Trang Tien, Hang Khay, Ngo Quyen, Ham Long, Chua Boc, Huynh Thuc Khang, Giang Vo, Tran Dai Nghia, Tran Khat Chan...

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/ha-noi-cham-cho-thue-via-he-tiep-tiep-bi-lan-chiem-1922502202241314.htm