Strictly implement regulations on railway traffic safety corridors

Defy regulations to do business

Recently, social networks have spread a video recording a railway traffic safety incident at the railway coffee street area (Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi). In the video , while the train was passing by, a foreign male tourist was busy using his phone to record and slipped and fell towards the train. Fortunately, people around him were able to pull him back in time, while the table and drinking cups were swept under the train. The incident left many tourists present at the scene in a state of panic.

As soon as the video of the incident went viral, public opinion expressed outrage at the business activities that pose a potential risk of causing traffic accidents at the railway coffee street. In response to public reaction, a representative of the Hang Bong Ward People's Committee said that they had received the information and directed the ward police to investigate. According to the initial investigation results, the incident actually occurred in September 2024, but the video has only now been widely circulated on social networks. The foreign male tourist in the video was slightly injured.

In addition to the investigation and verification work, on the evening of June 14, the working group of the Traffic Police Team No. 1 and 2 ( Hanoi Traffic Police Department) coordinated with the People's Committees and Police of Dien Bien Ward (Ba Dinh District), Cua Dong Ward, Hang Bong Ward (Hoan Kiem District) to simultaneously inspect and handle violations of railway traffic safety at the railway coffee street. The authorities asked the coffee shop owners along the railway area to clean up their shops and invited tourists to leave the area to ensure safety.

However, according to many opinions, this inspection and handling campaign, although necessary and timely, may not be enough to prevent this type of business. Because, since 2019, Hanoi City has requested to completely handle the situation of businesses encroaching on the railway, causing insecurity and safety in the area. However, business activities in the railway coffee street area still blatantly exist.

In April 2023, the Hanoi Department of Tourism continued to issue documents requesting units to stop bringing tourists to the railway coffee street. Most recently, in April 2025, Road Traffic Police Team No. 1 deployed the "Railway Safety Belt" model on the railway line passing through Phung Hung, Tran Phu, and Le Duan streets. Every day, the authorities set up barriers, set up checkpoints, asked businesses not to display goods for sale, and reminded residents and tourists to leave the safety corridor before the train arrived. However, despite these efforts, some households still deliberately violated the law, using the excuse of "developing local tourism" to justify doing business in the prohibited area.

Solutions to prevent violations of railway corridors

In reality, violations of railway traffic safety corridors are not a new problem. People arbitrarily open level crossings, display goods in railway protection areas, illegally stop and park vehicles at intersections, etc., still occur "everyday" in many localities. These acts not only threaten railway traffic safety but also directly threaten human life.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Construction, in the first 5 months of 2025, there were 8 railway traffic accidents nationwide (an increase of 6 cases, equivalent to 300%), causing 4 deaths (an increase of 100%) compared to the same period in 2024. The main cause was determined to be the limited awareness of traffic law compliance of a part of the population. In particular, the complicated situation of encroachment on railway safety corridors is also the reason why tragic accidents have not been able to stop.

Faced with the above situation, the Ministry of Construction requested the People's Committees of provinces and cities to direct functional units and local authorities to strengthen the assurance of order and railway traffic safety. In particular, strictly implementing regulations on railway traffic safety corridors with solutions such as: organizing guard posts or warnings at dangerous self-opened paths; building service roads and isolation fences; narrowing or eliminating illegally opened paths; organizing the installation of railway traffic safety corridor boundary markers and handing them over to local authorities for management. At the same time, promoting the dissemination of laws to people living along railways, especially in areas of high-risk level crossings and self-opened paths, is also emphasized.

Particularly for the railway coffee street area, many opinions say that the lack of a clear and stable management mechanism has caused this area to fall into a vicious circle. Therefore, fundamental and sustainable solutions are needed such as re-planning the space around the railway, building alternative safe "check-in" points. If we want to maintain and develop it as a type of tourism business, we need to have a guarantee of signing from the shops. We also need strict, synchronous management, and a common voice from the functional forces between the wards.

Ganoderma

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/thuc-hien-nghiem-quy-dinh-hanh-lang-an-toan-giao-thong-duong-sat-post552243.html