Occupying sidewalks for parking services

(Baonghean.vn) - This situation is common in markets and hospitals but has not been completely resolved, causing chaos, loss of aesthetics, traffic safety and urban order.

A section of the sidewalk on Nguyen Trai Street (in front of Quan Banh Market) is about 100 meters long but has 9 bicycle and motorbike parking spots. Parking signs are erected close together right next to the roadside, some households even put up signs on the road and place chairs right on the edge of the road to attract customers to park their vehicles. Most of the households that park vehicles along the sidewalk in the Quan Banh Market area have their own houses or rent space in front of the yard or kiosks from households with frontage houses to provide parking services and they occupy the sidewalk in front to park their vehicles.

“I have a house here, so I don’t have anyone prohibit me from providing a parking service or collect any taxes or fees. The house has been built on all the land in the land title, so I can use the space in front of the door to keep cars. When the commune and city police come to clear the sidewalk, I can just put my car inside the house to keep it tidy. But they only come to check and clear it once in a while,” said a household providing a parking service on the sidewalk of Nguyen Trai Street.

Many parking spots at Quan Banh afternoon market. Photo: Thanh Tam

“The authorities of Nghi Phu commune have repeatedly reminded and fined people for illegally encroaching on the sidewalk to park their vehicles and sell goods in the Quan Banh market area, from 150,000 to 500,000 VND/household, and after collecting the advertising signs, they buy new ones. It is not done regularly, so it is very difficult to completely handle it. This time, we are waiting for specific instructions from the city to do it. Nghi Phu commune also determined that if we want to completely handle it, we must arrange for people to stay there for a long time,” said Mr. Hoang Thanh Tung - Chairman of Nghi Phu commune People's Committee.

Currently in Vinh City, the situation of occupying sidewalks as private property for parking services is happening in many places. The sidewalk on the west side of Mai Hac De Street in front of the Endocrinology Hospital has been fenced with stakes and iron chains to provide parking services.

The sidewalk is roped off and staked to serve as a parking lot for the Endocrinology Hospital. Photo: Thanh Tam

The security guard at the endocrinology hospital said: "Because the hospital is under construction, the cars are parked on the sidewalk. I am a security guard, so I park them wherever the hospital tells me to."

The sidewalk of Truong Chinh Street in front of Vinh Railway Station Market in Le Loi Ward has had three parking lots for decades. One of them is rented from the market management board, one is rented from the joint tax team of Le Loi, Quan Bau, Dong Vinh wards under the Vinh City Tax Department, and one is rented from the Le Loi Ward police.

Ms. Dinh Thi Lien in Block 10, Le Loi Ward, has been working as a parking attendant for 28 years and said: “I have rented the yard area of ​​the crime reporting point in the Vinh station area, Le Loi Ward Police to keep my car for a long time. Before, the rent was small, but now I have to pay 4 million VND per month. The yard area is small, so I take advantage of the sidewalk in front. Many times, the police and security forces have confiscated umbrellas and tarps because they encroached on the sidewalk. When they chased me away, I retreated, when they left, I moved out, but the small yard inside can only hold a few dozen cars before running out of space.”

The crime reporting point at Vinh station area of ​​Le Loi ward police has been a parking lot for many years. Photo: Thanh Tam

“The ward’s enforcement team only has 3 people, the rest are part-time. Meanwhile, the area is large and we have to go to many places, so we can only do it once a day. When the authorities are there, they clear it away, but when they leave, they encroach on it again. The parking lot encroaching on the sidewalk is mainly during rush hours and on Saturdays and Sundays when there are many people going to the market. The ward also does not have the conditions to mobilize the staff to work overtime a lot.

Of the three parking lots encroaching on the sidewalk of Truong Chinh Street (Ga Market area), one was rented by the Vinh Ga Market management board. People have also reported it to the City People's Committee. The ward is also waiting for the market management board to report before coordinating to handle it" - Mr. Thai Giap Vinh - Chairman of Le Loi Ward People's Committee said.

The encroachment of sidewalks by households for business and vehicle parking services has affected pedestrian movement. Without sidewalks, pedestrians are forced to walk on the road, causing traffic disorder and safety problems. The clearance of sidewalks and traffic corridors to restore order must be carried out seriously, regularly and continuously, and repeat violations must be strictly handled to avoid the situation of "kidnapping and abandoning the plate" as before.

Thanh Tam