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

(Baonghean.vn) - Walking 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 openly 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 roadways, 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 rebuilding, 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 next to the sidewalk, if not in front of the house, where else to put them? The house is in one place, the land is in another. How long will it take to finish this?"

Construction material stores on Nguyen Sy Sach Street blatantly 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 a place to gather 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 and dirty bricks exist openly without any cover. They are dusty in the sun and dirty in the rain, forcing pedestrians to walk on the street, 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 is strong and the dust from the piles of construction materials makes it difficult for people to see. Not only does it block the view, but 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 of raw 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 constructions are affected.

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

Mr. Nguyen Tat Thien - Chairman of the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward added: "In response to the Vinh City Party Committee's directive on reclaiming the 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 fined 6 households for encroaching on the sidewalks. In case of violations, in addition to administrative fines 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 building the foundation. After the foundation is built, 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 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