Familiar reason: " making a living"
The video of a foreign tourist who was lucky to escape a miserable escape at the Hanoi railway coffee street once again sparked endless controversies about the existence of this unique yet risky business model.
According to Lao Dong, when asked about doing business right on the railway safety corridor, households here all gave a familiar reason: "for a living".
Mr. Nguyen Van Loc, a restaurant owner who has been in business since the end of 2018, said that this job is the main source of income for his family. He and many other restaurant owners confirmed that they had taken self-defense measures.
"We have a very good grasp of the train schedule. About 10 minutes before the train arrives, the warning bell will ring to remind everyone to move to a safe area," Mr. Loc explained.
However, this business activity is seriously violating the railway traffic safety corridor. And when people and tourists believe in spontaneous and manual warning measures, it is a risky subjectivity.
In fact, there have been many cargo ships and technical ships running suddenly without a fixed schedule, and just a delay or a sudden situation (travelers stumble, panic) can lead to a tragic accident.
More notably, some business households also believe that their presence contributes to increased safety. "There have been accidents before when tourists arbitrarily entered. Since we have been doing business here, there have always been people on duty to warn, so it is safer," said Mr. Loc.
However, the existence of dozens of coffee shops has turned a dangerous area that needs to be away from home into a crowded tourist destination, attracting hundreds of tourists every day.
Confusion in management
Talking to Lao Dong, Captain Khong Ngoc Son, a police officer of Dien Bien Ward (Ba Dinh District), admitted that the management of the railway coffee street area (Hanoi City) is extremely complicated. Especially due to geographical characteristics when the railway line borders many wards, even two different districts, leading to a lack of synchronization in management.
"The authorities have deployed many measures such as setting up checkpoints, installing surveillance cameras and warning bells. However, we cannot stop all tourists because they can still enter from level crossings and small alleys," Captain Son admitted.
A painful reality is that the compliance attitude is only a coping factor for business households. When there are authorities, they strictly comply. But when the forces withdrew, activities brazenly resumed.
"The ward police cannot be on duty 24/7 because there are many other tasks. The self-management force of the ward is "thin", not enough to control, especially when tourism companies are still heavily bringing tours here", Captain Son worried.
The problem is not only in business households but also in a part of travel companies, when they still advertise and take visitors to a destination that has been banned for safety reasons.
To completely resolve the issue, Captain Son said that it is necessary to "ensure the synchronous participation of all functional forces".
However, he also frankly acknowledged: "If the railway can be relocated out of the inner city, the safety problem will be truly solved".
