The situation of street vendors and sidewalk encroachment for business has been going on for many years and has become a burning issue in the locality. Especially in the central area of Dien Bien Phu ward - a place where many tourists are concentrated.
According to reporters of Lao Dong Newspaper, on some central roads in Dien Bien Phu ward such as Nguyen Chi Thanh, Be Van Dan... people are selling goods rampant on the sidewalks regularly.
Notably, only about 100m from Muong Thanh tourism commercial market, many spontaneous sales points openly exist.
Vegetable, fruit, and agricultural product stalls are displayed right next to the road, buyers arbitrarily park their vehicles, causing traffic disorder and potential risk of accidents.
Real-world records show a clear contrast: the area inside the tourist market is arranged neatly and orderly, while the outside is messy and chaotic due to dense "makeshift markets".
Previously, Muong Thanh tourist market was invested with a total budget of nearly 200 billion VND, on an area of about 1.8 hectares, expected to become a commercial highlight, and at the same time solve the situation of temporary markets and makeshift markets that have existed for a long time.
However, when the tourist market went into operation from the end of 2025, this goal has not been achieved to date.
In fact, the fact that spontaneous sales points continue to exist right next to the market area is reducing the attractiveness of the well-invested market area, and at the same time causing offense in the eyes of tourists.
Some small traders said that trading on the sidewalk helps to reach customers faster. Buyers only need to park their cars to transact, without spending time parking or moving into the market.
Ms. Thao Trang (Dien Bien Phu ward) shared: "Buying vegetables, fruits, and agricultural products sold by people on the sidewalk, just park your car, even without turning off the engine, it's done. Although knowing that they are helping to encroach on the sidewalk, because it's convenient, many people still keep this habit.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper reporters about this issue, Mr. Do Ngoc Tu - Vice Chairman of Dien Bien Phu Ward People's Committee confirmed that the situation of sidewalk encroachment and street vendors in the area is still common, especially in the area near Muong Thanh tourist market.
According to Mr. Tu, recently the Dien Bien Phu ward government has established an inter-sectoral working group including the police and specialized departments to regularly inspect and handle, but it is still ineffective.
Functional forces still inspect daily, and at the same time combine propaganda and mobilization of people not to violate or encroach on sidewalks. However, due to the thin force, maintaining urban order still faces many difficulties" - Mr. Tu added.
On April 23, at a meeting on improving the operational efficiency of Muong Thanh Pedestrian Street, this issue continued to be raised. However, so far there has been no effective solution to end the prolonged existence of many years.
