The Urban Order Enforcement Team faced resistance from street vendors when dealing with violations.
Hung's motorbike weaved through the crowds, his eyes scanning every stall in the bustling fair, searching for hidden street vendors. Suddenly, he signaled to his teammate, pointing his index finger towards a woman in a white T-shirt riding a black Air Blade motorbike behind them. Everyone understood implicitly that she was "the follower."
"Street vendors operate in groups, and when they see urban order enforcement officers approaching, they send one or two people to alert them of their location and help them avoid them," he explained, showing adept at these evasive tactics.
His police skills proved useful at this moment. While walking, he suddenly turned right. The woman in the white coat lost her balance and darted past, glancing back furtively, only to meet Mr. Hung's "warning" gaze. But it was useless; the "stalker" didn't give up, continuing to follow him throughout the entire time, walking and stopping with him as if he were a member of the task force.
After years of experience, Mr. Hung divides mobile vendors into two groups: those with established records; and those facing hardship, young students seeking a livelihood. He confidently asserts, "Just by looking at their faces, you can tell who's a seasoned veteran and who's new to the trade." For new offenders, he usually just gives a warning and lets them go.
"It's impossible to deal with them all, but we have to fine them to set an example. Otherwise, they will sell them indiscriminately," he said.
Nguyen Duc Thang, Deputy Head of the Urban Management Department and leader of the District 1 Urban Order Team, explained that sidewalks are the clearest reflection of the economic situation of informal workers. Therefore, after the pandemic, the team couldn't issue enough fines because the number of people making a living on the sidewalks was incredibly high.
"Many people question why the city authorities are not handling the issue decisively and thoroughly. The truth is, we're overwhelmed. Fines don't solve the root of the problem," he said.
Team leader Le Huu Hung also acknowledged the reality that despite continuous patrols, the situation remains the same each time they return, with street vendors changing their selling methods to evade detection. He proposed that the city plan a separate area for street vendors, allowing them to sell for only two years before making way for others. This would be a way for the city to support those facing difficulties in the initial stages of their "startup," and urban order officers like him wouldn't have to constantly chase after vendors without end.
A hiding place
In the face of the intense crackdown on urban order, many street vendors have found their own "hideouts" with the help of property owners. Dealing with homeowners for a fixed selling spot on the sidewalk has become an "unspoken agreement" that many street vendors accept based on the principle of mutual agreement.
A landlord on Nguyen Thai Son Street, Go Vap District, said he had rented out his ground floor space for a barbershop, but there was still empty space on the sidewalk in front of the shop, so he needed to find a tenant. No contract was required; payment was in cash. The rent included electricity, water, storage space, and even a restroom. Meanwhile, potential tenants were willing to pay 2-3 million VND per month for the peace of mind to conduct business. Sidewalks have inadvertently become a type of real estate with almost absolute profitability.
Image of a public social media post seeking someone to rent sidewalk space.
In her research on Saigon's street life, Professor Annette M. Kim, a public policy expert, calls this "cooperation between vendors and property owners." Whether to pay a fee or sell for free in front of the property is a private agreement between individuals. She considers this surprising and a testament to the humanistic aspect of Saigon's urban culture, quite different from most other cities in the US and Europe, where these two groups often clash instead of sharing space for mutual benefit.
Thanks to this arrangement, street vendors form a continuously operating ecosystem, resulting in virtually no downtime on many sidewalk spaces. The sidewalk on Nguyen Gia Tri Street in Binh Thanh District is a prime example, where shops and stalls take turns using the sidewalk to its full capacity.
Source link
Comment (0)