According to the document of the Hanoi Department of Construction on the implementation of Directive 06/CT-BXD of the Ministry of Construction, it is required to review and strictly handle violations in the management of road safety corridors, and at the same time, remove all parking lots under the bridge.
Many opinions agreed with stopping the operation of vehicle parking lots under the bridge because they did not ensure fire safety. However, this also makes people worried because it is difficult to find a place to park, especially in hospital areas or the old quarter - where Hanoi already lacks serious parking space.
It is noted that Hanoi currently has many vehicle parking lots under the bridge such as Chuong Duong Bridge, Nga Tu Vong overpass or at the foot of the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway bridge.
At the storage yard under Chuong Duong Bridge managed by Dong Xuan Joint Stock Company, there are currently about 300 motorbikes. Although the management unit has hung up a signboard to temporarily suspend operations and not receive more vehicles, many people still bring their vehicles to deposit and are refused, so they have to return without knowing where else to find.
On September 5, at the parking lot under the Nga Tu Vong overpass, hundreds of motorbikes, cars and dozens of ambulances were parked here. After receiving an order from the Hanoi Department of Construction, this parking lot hung a sign to stop operations, put up a rope to prevent new vehicles, and notified vehicle owners to move their vehicles elsewhere.
Mr. Bui Van Minh (Bach Mai ward) said he has parked his car here for 2 years. If he had to move, he would have to park his car 2km from his house, but it was uncertain if he had a seat. "We have to comply with the city's policy, but finding a parking space is very difficult now. This Voice area has almost no place left. I hope the authorities will have solutions such as strengthening fire prevention and fighting, to avoid incidents like the Vinh Tuy bridge underpass incident," Mr. Minh shared.
Mr. Nguyen Truong Duc (Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem) also said that the need for parking by people around Chuong Duong Bridge is very urgent. If you don't deposit here, there will be almost no choice, because there are no parking lots around this area. A security guard here also confirmed that most of the vehicles sent belonged to people living and working in the old quarter. The announcement of the suspension of operations has made many vehicle owners extremely worried because they do not know where to park.
Some experts are concerned that stopping guarding under the bridge needs to be accompanied by monitoring measures to avoid the emergence of illegal guarding points on the road and sidewalk - which increase traffic congestion.
Master Vu Anh Tuan (University of Transport) said that with a small amount of static traffic land, the removal of parking lots under the bridge will further reduce parking space, creating great pressure in urban areas.
Associate Professor, Dr. Hoang Ha - Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Bridge and Road Science and Technology Association - said that the use of space under the bridge for parking or goods storage is still controversial in many countries. Legally, this is a prohibited act due to the high risk of fire and explosion. The most important issue is to manage and apply strict fire prevention and fighting measures to minimize risks, he emphasized.
According to experts, with the current growth rate of personal vehicles being too fast, no matter how many more parking lots, it will not be able to meet the demand. The sustainable solution is to strongly develop the public transport system, helping people easily switch from personal vehicles to public transport when entering the inner city, instead of depending on rest stops on the road or sidewalk.
