Change the structure
Investing in the construction of new markets aims to develop trade and facilitate convenience for the people. However, many markets, completed a year ago, cannot yet open due to fire safety regulations.
Phu Yen Market, located in Tran Phu ward (Hai Duong city), is part of the Phu Yen Market investment, construction, management, and operation project, with Hai An - Phu Yen Market Investment, Construction, Management, and Exploitation Cooperative as the investor.
Phu Yen Market is a first-class market with over 600 fixed business stalls and a total investment of over 290 billion VND. Construction began in 2019, and after two years of work, the market is basically complete.
The new Phu Yen Market consists of a main building with 5 above-ground floors and 1 basement floor. Of the 5 above-ground floors, the first and second floors retain the traditional market model, selling essential goods for the local population. The third floor offers high-end, modern products; and the fourth and fifth floors house supporting services such as sports , food, and other amenities.
However, after more than two years since its completion, the new Phu Yen market is still unable to operate because the fire safety systems do not meet the new regulations. For example, the smoke extraction system meets the old standards, but the new regulations require specific features: the chimney must be heat-insulated, and the power supply for the exhaust fans must be a priority source. Previously open common areas now require the construction of fire-resistant walls and sliding doors.
In mid-October, the Hai An Market Investment, Construction, Management, and Operation Cooperative in Phu Yen province is urgently completing fire safety measures in accordance with regulations. The investor has allocated over 20 billion VND to address fire safety shortcomings, including fundamentally redesigning the basement, installing additional fire-resistant sliding doors, constructing fire-resistant walls, rebuilding the main staircase, and replacing the fire-fighting smoke extraction system.
“In its initial design, Phu Yen Market already included fire safety measures as required at the time. However, the construction process was delayed due to land clearance issues and the impact of the pandemic… When completed and undergoing acceptance testing for commissioning, the market did not meet the new fire safety regulations,” said Mr. Vu Ngoc Tung, Deputy Director of the Hai An Market Investment, Construction, Management and Operation Cooperative in Phu Yen.
Small business owners at Phu Yen Market are hoping for the market to be completed and put into use soon, as construction has been prolonged. "We hope the investor will soon complete the repairs to the fire safety systems so that the market can start operating soon," said Ms. Bui Thi Mai Huong, a small business owner at the market on Quang Trung Street (Hai Duong City).
Not yet operational.
The old Tram Bong Market (Gia Loc) has existed for a long time. Except for a few kiosks and stalls that were planned and built in the 1980s, the rest were added by vendors themselves over a long period. The infrastructure of Tram Bong Market is dilapidated; the roofs of the stalls are makeshift and patched up with old tiles and corrugated iron, and the market floor is much lower than the road level. The lighting and electric fan systems were installed by the vendors themselves, so safety is not guaranteed.
In 2021, the investor, the People's Committee of Quang Minh commune, requested Thanh Cong Group Joint Stock Company to sponsor the construction of a new Tram Bong market on a plot of land larger than 5,108 m2, after which it would be handed over to the local government for management and operation.
With a total construction investment of over 10 billion VND, the new Tram Bong market was a Class III public market, with fire prevention and fighting measures in accordance with the regulations at that time.
However, the new market has not yet been put into use despite being completed in 2023 because some fire safety features lack an active fire prevention system... as required by current regulations.
The old Sao Do Market had seriously deteriorated and was no longer viable, so about 50% of the vendors with stalls in the market had ceased operations. In August 2019, Chi Linh City invested in building a temporary Sao Do Market for the vendors to relocate to while the new market was being constructed. The temporary market has a total area of 6,155 m2 with more than 480 business points, and the approved estimated cost was approximately 11.5 billion VND.
The temporary market consists of two sections. One section, near the Viet Tien Son urban area and covering over 4,600 m2, has been completed and put into use. This section is for small traders selling agricultural products and fresh food. The other section, built on the land north of the old market, cannot yet be put into use because many construction elements do not comply with the new fire safety regulations.
At the time of construction, fire safety regulations here were quite simple, such as the placement of fire extinguisher cabinets and emergency exits. According to the new regulations, the market still lacks a lightning protection system, a ventilation system to increase heat; and fire safety design and design approval...
The Economic Department of the Sao Do Market Management Board has repeatedly worked with the Fire Prevention, Fighting, and Rescue Police Department (Provincial Police) to find solutions to the problem. However, due to difficulties in securing funding to gradually overcome these limitations, it is unknown when this temporary market will be able to operate.
Most of these markets were designed with fire safety measures in mind during construction. However, when new regulations came into effect, these structures no longer met the requirements and could not be inspected and put into use.
To overcome these limitations, investors must allocate at least 2-3 billion VND, or even more, to address the shortcomings stipulated in fire safety regulations. However, not all localities or investors have the resources readily available to rectify these limitations immediately…
Therefore, a paradox persists in some places: small traders have to do business in dilapidated old markets that lack many safety standards, including fire prevention and control, while new markets remain abandoned.
From February 2021 to the present, the Ministry of Public Security has issued numerous circulars guiding fire prevention and fighting, such as: Circular 149/2020/TT-BCA dated February 20, 2021, guiding the implementation of the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting; Circular 17/2021/TT-BCA dated March 22, 2021, regulating the management, preservation, and maintenance of fire prevention, fighting, and rescue equipment...
On May 10, 2024, the Government issued a Decree amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 136/2020/ND-CP dated November 24, 2020 of the Government detailing a number of articles and measures for the implementation of the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting and the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting, and Decree No. 83/2017/ND-CP dated July 18, 2017 of the Government regulating rescue and relief work of the fire prevention and fighting force.
Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/nut-that-phong-hoa-cho-cac-cho-moi-396332.html
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