Sand, gravel, bricks and stones brazenly encroach on the sidewalk

(Baonghean.vn) - Traveling on many streets in Vinh City, it is not difficult to see construction material dumps haphazardly encroaching on the sidewalks. Sand, gravel, bricks and stones are blatantly blocking the sidewalks.

According to observations, along Le Hong Phong, Nguyen Van Cu, Nguyen Phong Sac streets... many houses under construction have left construction materials scattered all over the sidewalks, forcing pedestrians to walk on the sidewalks and roads, affecting traffic safety.

On Nguyen Van Cu Street, construction materials and motorbikes compete to encroach on the sidewalk. Photo: Phuong Thuy

Ms. Nguyen Phuong Thao, owner of a grocery store on Nguyen Van Cu Street, said: "The house next door is being rebuilt, so the materials are piled right on the sidewalk, making it difficult for customers to get in and out of my store. It's okay when there are few customers, but when there are many customers, there's no place to go."

However, when asked, many violators had many reasons to justify. Mr. Nguyen Huu Trung in Hung Dung ward said: "I am building and renovating a store. I know that leaving construction materials on the sidewalk is wrong, but now the land area is limited, the house is next to the sidewalk, so if I don't put it in front of my house, where else can I put it? The house is in one place, the land is in another. When will this be finished?"

Construction material stores on Nguyen Sy Sach Street brazenly encroach on the sidewalk. Photo: Quang An

Nguyen Sy Sach Street has long been considered a “construction materials street”, so most of the sidewalks have been turned into places to sell construction materials. Piles of bricks are stacked higher than people’s heads, and sand and gravel are spilled onto the road, posing many potential dangers.

Piles of sand, bricks and dirt exist openly without any protection. They are dusty in the sun and dirty in the rain, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road, posing a high risk of traffic accidents.

On Phan Cong Tich Street, Hung Dung Ward, construction materials even spilled onto the road. Photo: Quang An

Mr. Nguyen Van Toan in Hung Phuc ward was upset: "Every time I pass by this road, the wind blows and the dust from the piles of construction materials makes it difficult for passersby to see. Not only does it block the view, it also harms the health and living environment of the people around."

In Hung Binh ward, to manage the gathering of construction materials, ensure urban order and traffic safety corridors, the ward People's Committee signed a commitment with all households with street frontage, including specific regulations on gathering materials (if there is construction activity); not to gather construction waste in the wrong place (must hire the Environmental Sanitation Company to collect and dump it in the city's landfill); not to gather materials on sidewalks or roads for more than 24 hours (temporary gathering must ensure and be responsible for traffic safety) and be responsible for overcoming the consequences when adjacent works are affected.

Construction waste is dumped on the sidewalk on Nguyen Phong Sac Street, right next to Cua Dong General Hospital. Photo: Phuong Thuy

Mr. Nguyen Tat Thien - Chairman of Truong Thi Ward People's Committee added: "Following the direction of Vinh City Party Committee on reclaiming sidewalks since April, this March, the ward has increased its forces to take drastic action. Regarding the issue of gathering construction materials, the ward has punished 6 households for encroaching on sidewalks. In case of violations, in addition to administrative sanctions and prohibition of re-offending, the Urban Order Committee must be responsible for reporting to the ward for further monitoring.

In some places, local authorities require people to only leave construction materials on the sidewalk when laying the foundation, and after the foundation is laid, they are required to move the materials inside the house and not encroach on the sidewalk. However, in reality, the handling of violations still faces many shortcomings, such as low and inconsistent penalties. Many households gather for a short period of time, so in the past, they were often reminded and not severely punished. Subjective and objective reasons are making the shortcomings in discharging and gathering construction materials on the sidewalk difficult to solve, becoming a story of "I know, it's hard, I keep talking about it."

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Quang An - Phuong Thuy