Chorus of Disbandment - Recidivism
Pham Hung Street (from Pham Hung - Duong Dinh Nghe intersection to My Dinh bus station gate) has a series of tea vendors, snack vendors, and helmet vendors occupying the sidewalk.
According to the reporter's records, some tea vendors have also become delivery and pick-up points for many passenger vans, or places for passengers to wait to board the van.
In particular, on the vacant land along Pham Hung Street (next to the Hanoi Children's Palace project), there are tea shops with chairs for customers occupying the entire sidewalk. In addition, many passenger cars also climb onto the sidewalk to stop and park, making this area messy and affecting people's travel.
On November 18, after receiving a report from a reporter from Lao Dong newspaper, the Traffic Police Team No. 6 (Traffic Police Department, Hanoi City Police), in coordination with Nam Tu Liem District Police, handled passenger vehicles violating parking regulations on the sidewalk of Pham Hung Street. At the same time, the authorities also dispersed tea and snack vendors occupying the sidewalk.
"Today, we are propagating and reminding everyone. If we find any repeat offenders, we will make a record and handle them according to regulations," Nam Tu Liem District Police officers reminded the tea vendors.
By the time the authorities started patrolling and handling the situation, the vendors had already moved their belongings elsewhere, returning the sidewalk to its original state for pedestrians.
On November 19, Lao Dong Newspaper reporters returned to the sales points that the authorities had previously warned and warned about, and the situation of appropriation recurred.
Why are the fines heavy but people remain undeterred?
According to Clause 5b, Article 12 of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, individuals who illegally use urban roadsides and sidewalks to conduct food and beverage business; display and sell goods... may be subject to an administrative fine of 2 - 3 million VND; and 4 - 6 million VND for organizations.
In addition to being punished, individuals and organizations that violate the law must also restore the original state that was changed due to the administrative violation.
The above fine is not small, but in reality, handling it is not without difficulties.
"Most of the time when they are fined or their vehicles are confiscated, the sellers will not come to get their goods back or pay the fine. Especially tea shops, they use worthless items, so when they are confiscated, they just leave them, not afraid of being fined," said an officer from Nam Tu Liem District Police.
The situation of occupying sidewalks for selling food services, etc, occurs almost everywhere in the streets of districts in Hanoi. Although the city's functional forces have repeatedly deployed peak plans to handle and restore order on the sidewalks, it is like "kidnapping and abandoning the plate".
Sharing on Lao Dong Newspaper, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hong Thai - Faculty of Transport Economics (University of Transport) said that the responsibility for re-encroachment and violations lies with the local government.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hong Thai, it is necessary to look at the reality of Vietnamese urban areas to ensure the harmony of interests between sidewalk businesses and the rights of pedestrians. First of all, it is necessary to develop a scientific plan, then, the handling of violations will use machinery and equipment to support. Propaganda work needs to be carried out regularly, continuously, and widely to all classes of people in the capital.
"To stop some people from encroaching on the sidewalks, we need to open up a new way of life for them, no longer dependent on the sidewalks as they have been for so long," said Professor Nguyen Hong Thai.
