Hanoi plans to introduce a plan to charge fees for using sidewalks.

According to Mac Dinh Minh, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Construction, following the direction of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, the Hanoi People's Committee has issued a decision on the establishment of a drafting team for a plan on the management, exploitation, and use of sidewalks throughout the city.

The drafting team consists of 36 people, including representatives from 11 departments, agencies, and districts. The unit is currently developing and finalizing a sidewalk management plan based on three principles.

Firstly, the road and sidewalks are primarily used for traffic purposes.

Secondly, sidewalks are primarily for pedestrians, with urban infrastructure systems arranged along the route.

Thirdly, the temporary use of a portion of the sidewalk for purposes other than traffic must be authorized or approved by the competent authority, ensuring it is used for the correct purpose and within the permitted scope.

Mr. Minh stated that the entire project is currently being drafted and is undergoing consultation with members of the drafting team, as well as with districts and counties. In the near future, the drafting team will report to the city and provide specific information on the project's content and the principles for organizing and managing sidewalks and roadways.

Emphasizing that this is a very complex issue requiring specific research, the leader of the Hanoi Department of Construction stated that the project involves each street, each locality, and each district, while each place has different characteristics and specifics.

Therefore, the drafting committee will develop an outline and agree on general principles during the drafting process. After reporting to and receiving approval from the Hanoi City Party Committee and the Hanoi People's Committee, the drafting team will then calculate the specific timeline and progress for implementing this project.

Hanoi's sidewalks are becoming parking lots and food stalls, instead of spaces for pedestrians.

The Department of Construction is expected to submit the plan for managing and collecting fees for sidewalk use to the City Party Committee in the second quarter of this year. Following that, the process will involve approval by the relevant authorities.

In fact, several districts in Hanoi have proposed pilot programs for leasing sidewalks on streets with adequate infrastructure. Specifically, Hoan Kiem district has proposed a first-phase pilot program leasing business space on 10 streets with 36 locations.

According to the proposal, the area intended for temporary lease extends 2 meters from the front of the building and is only available to the owner of the street-facing property at that location for business purposes. The lease period is all days of the week.

However, this proposal from the district has not yet been approved by the city. Instead, Hanoi has assigned the Department of Construction to directly develop a sidewalk management plan to be applied uniformly to all inner-city districts.

Previously, in 2021, Hoan Kiem district piloted the leasing of sidewalks for business purposes at four locations, primarily for showcasing and promoting products such as coffee, beverages, and fast food. These locations included: 94 Ly Thuong Kiet, 30 Ly Thuong Kiet, 11 Le Phung Hieu, and 15 Ngo Quyen.

These locations are all large hotels and restaurants with wide and spacious storefronts, and the sidewalks provide ample space for business and product display while still allowing space for pedestrians.

Despite the success in collecting sidewalk fees at the four locations mentioned, the Hoan Kiem district leaders acknowledged that this is not a general model to apply to many streets, as most streets have narrow sidewalks and require careful planning to ensure optimal space utilization .

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/ha-noi-len-lo-trinh-thu-phi-via-he-a646431.html