Hanoi voters want to 'ensure harmony of interests' when reclaiming sidewalks

The Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi has just sent a report summarizing the opinions and recommendations of voters and people at the 5th session of the 15th National Assembly to the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, the National Assembly Delegation of Hanoi and relevant agencies, including the issue of harmonizing interests when "clearing sidewalks".

Cử tri Hà Nội mong muốn 'đảm bảo hài hòa lợi ích' khi giành lại vỉa hè - Ảnh 1. — A section of the sidewalk on Ly Thuong Kiet Street (Hoan Kiem District) has tables and chairs set up by people to do business.

In the report, voters and people of the capital highly appreciated the plan to launch a general inspection, handle and resolve violations of order, traffic safety, urban order and public order in Hanoi in 2023 by the city's Steering Committee 197.

However, the situation of encroaching on sidewalks for selling goods, illegally parking vehicles, and charging parking fees exceeding the city's regulations has not decreased much if the authorities are not determined and do not regularly inspect and urge; at the same time, due to the low awareness of a part of the people, after the campaign, the situation of encroaching on roads and sidewalks has occurred as before.

Many people commented that, after the campaign to reclaim sidewalks for pedestrians, although many strong measures were applied, the results were not sustainable. "People want authorities at all levels to have solutions to create conditions for traders and street vendors to have stable business locations to make a living, ensuring harmony of community interests," the report stated.

Previously, at the conference to contact voters in Hoang Mai and Gia Lam districts, when mentioning the campaign to reclaim sidewalks for pedestrians, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung said that the management of roads and sidewalks is still lacking in method.

"Sidewalks have many functions. The normal function is walking, but for Hanoi, our beloved capital, it is also partly the livelihood of the people. We have to calculate carefully," said Mr. Dung.

According to Mr. Dung, a ward leader told him that, during the campaign to reclaim the sidewalks, a business household was fined three times in one month, each time 2.5 million VND, "but still happily paid the fine". "Saying that shows that the night-time economy , the sidewalk and road economy are terrible. They are closely linked to making a living. If we do things without a foundation, without a plan, it is not good. In the end, it only causes resentment among the people. We are the government, we have to create conditions for the people. Therefore, these things (sidewalk and road management - PV) need to be calmly considered and studied.

Previously, from March 1 to 31, Hanoi simultaneously launched a general inspection and handling of violations of urban order and public order, including strengthening the handling of acts of encroachment on roads and sidewalks for business, trading, and illegal vehicle parking. After more than 2 months of authorities taking action to reclaim sidewalks for pedestrians, many major streets in Hanoi now have fairly clear sidewalks. However, on some smaller streets, the situation of people re-occupying sidewalks for business has not been completely handled.

A merchant on the Old Quarter of Hoan Kiem District (Hanoi) said that "to make a living, he is ready to deal with" the police force, continuing to encroach on the sidewalk to do business and trade when the authorities leave.

"If before I had to display tables and chairs on the sidewalk or road 10 parts, now I only display 5 parts. I hope the competent authority will study the policy and create conditions within the framework so that I can sell on the sidewalk, not have to do business in a perfunctory way like now," said this trader.

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