What is the penalty for parking a car in the "space" of a pedestrian crossing the street?

Although there is no need for a no parking sign, the pedestrian crossing is also an "inviolable" area and drivers who park their cars here can be severely punished.

In big cities and urban areas, pedestrian crossings are no longer strange to people. These are places designed for people to see easily, to create a priority area to help pedestrians cross the street safely.

However, many drivers, whether intentionally or unintentionally, have parked their vehicles in an "unsightly" manner, completely overlapping the pedestrian crossing, forcing people who need to cross the street to have to swerve to avoid it, which is unsafe.

What is the penalty for parking a car in the same space as a pedestrian crossing the street? — **Many vehicles stop and park, occupying the entire pedestrian crossing area.** Photo: Hoang Hiep

Although there may not be signs prohibiting parking on the above roads, according to the 2008 Road Traffic Law, there are 11 locations where parking is prohibited by default, including the pedestrian crossing.

Specifically, Clause 4, Article 18 of the Road Traffic Law clearly stipulates that vehicle drivers are not allowed to stop or park vehicles in the following locations: On the left side of a one-way street; on curved roads and near the top of slopes with obstructed visibility; on bridges, under overpasses; parallel to another vehicle that is stopping or parking; on the roadway for pedestrians to cross the road; at intersections and within 5m from the edge of the intersection; at bus stops; in front of and within 5m on both sides of the gates of agencies and organizations; at places where the roadway is only wide enough for one lane; within the safety zone of railways; obscuring road signs.

Thus, stopping and parking on the pedestrian crossing is a violation of regulations and may be subject to penalties according to Decree 100/2019/ND-CP on administrative penalties in the field of road and railway traffic (amended and supplemented by Decree 123/2021/ND-CP).

The act of "stopping or parking in an incorrect location in sections with designated parking areas; stopping or parking on the roadway reserved for pedestrians to cross the road,..." is subject to a fine of 400,000-600,000 VND according to Clause 2, Article 5 of Decree 100.

In addition, according to Clause 3, Article 5 of Decree 100, the act of "parking a vehicle not close to the curb or sidewalk on the right side of the road in the direction of travel or the nearest wheel is more than 0.25 m from the curb or sidewalk; parking on a tramway or bus lane; parking on a drainage manhole, the mouth of a telephone or high-voltage power line, or a space reserved for fire trucks to get water; parking or leaving a vehicle on the sidewalk in violation of the law;...", the driver of a car will be fined from 800,000 to 1,000,000 VND.

Even in the case of illegal parking causing traffic jams, drivers can be fined from 1-2 million VND and have their driving license revoked for 1-3 months (according to Clause 4 and Clause 11, Article 5 of Decree 100).

Article 19 of the current Road Traffic Law regulates stopping and parking on the street. Accordingly, drivers must comply with the following regulations when stopping or parking on the street:

- Vehicles must be stopped or parked close to the curb or sidewalk on the right side of the road in the direction of travel; the nearest wheel must not be more than 0.25 meters from the curb or sidewalk and must not obstruct or endanger traffic.

- In case of narrow streets, you must stop and park your car at least 20 meters away from cars parked on the other side of the street.

- Do not stop or park on tram tracks, on drainage manholes, telephone or high voltage power lines, areas reserved for fire trucks to get water, etc.

According to vietnamnet.vn

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