The road is clear, the summer is cool

(Baonghean) - After 2 days of simultaneously launching campaigns to clear traffic safety corridors, the streets in 25 wards and communes in Vinh City have seen clear changes. There are no more scenes of awnings and signs covering the sidewalks, or street vendors brazenly encroaching on the roadway...

These rapid and obvious changes were achieved thanks to the drastic participation of many forces and components, from the city to each block and hamlet, especially the high consensus of the people. Because everyone wants Vinh City to have a face that is commensurate with the stature of a class I urban area, to participate in traffic in a favorable and safe environment.

In just 2 days, the functional forces of Vinh City, in which the main force is the City Urban Inspectorate, together with the self-awareness of households, have dismantled thousands of canopies, signs, and nearly 100 kiosks violating traffic safety corridors. Hundreds of households trading on sidewalks and roads in the "hot spots" of Ben Thuy market, Nghi Phu market... have been moved inside the market, returning the ventilation to the sidewalks and roads in these areas. There are places, such as Nghi Phu market, that seem very difficult to dismantle, but thanks to the local authorities and city leaders who went to each large, reputable business household to encourage them to set an example in doing so, many other small businesses have also voluntarily dismantled the objects encroaching on traffic safety corridors.

The sidewalk on Le Loi Street (near Vinh Station intersection) has been cleared.

Thanks to good propaganda and mobilization work, Hung Binh Ward and Truong Thi Ward have achieved good results in the first 2 days of the campaign. In Hung Binh Ward, in addition to early propaganda before the campaign, in areas that were difficult to clear, Ward Chairman Nguyen Huu Dac personally went to mobilize, thanks to which, 180 business households voluntarily removed the stalls encroaching on the sidewalk.

The ward's functional forces coordinated with local households to dismantle 50 corrugated iron roofs, and the ward organized 2,000 households to sign a commitment not to violate traffic safety corridors. In Truong Thi ward, nearly 300 business households, with the support of functional forces, dismantled roofs, signs, and packed goods into kiosks, returning the open space to Phan Dang Luu, Ho Tung Mau, Nguyen Van Cu, Le Hong Phong, Truong Thi streets... to the joy of traffic participants and residents around this area.

Mr. Phan Thanh Son - Chief Inspector of Vinh City's urban area said: "In the first 2 days of the campaign, the functional forces together with the wards and communes have achieved positive results in re-establishing traffic safety order and discipline in Vinh City. Sidewalks and main streets have been cleared. Only a few streets such as Nguyen Phong Sac, Le Duan, and Road 46 remain because the compensation and site clearance work when upgrading sidewalks and roadways has not been completed, causing difficulties for the forces in mobilizing and enforcing. In addition, there are still some wards that have not done a good job of propaganda and mobilization, so many people do not fully understand the policy, leading to some difficulties in the clearance process. However, the functional forces will coordinate with the wards and communes to determine that from now until early April, the encroachment of traffic safety corridors throughout the city will be basically resolved."

The clearance of the traffic safety corridor has really given Vinh City a new look and received the approval of many people. Mr. Nguyen Dinh, owner of the Nam Dinh traditional pho restaurant on Le Hong Phong Street, excitedly said: "Thanks to the campaign, this section of the road has become clearer, my business has been very favorable because people can see my restaurant from afar. This time, I also had to remove part of the roof and the signboard encroaching on the sidewalk, but it did not affect my business because the area of ​​my restaurant is very large". Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Xuan Hung hamlet, Hung Loc commune said: "Now I no longer have to worry every time I drive back and forth across the Post Office bridge, because the street vendors on the bridge have been removed, there is no longer the chaos and traffic insecurity like before".

However, this campaign still has concerns and worries of some business households, because their store area is too small compared to the type of business, so the income of these households will decrease when they are no longer allowed to encroach on the sidewalk for business as before. Ms. Le Thi Thi, a breakfast vendor on Le Loi Street said: "My family rented this booth to both live and sell food. Now that the roof and signboard have been removed and we have to sell right in the booth, the number of customers has decreased significantly in the past 2 days. In the near future, we have to calculate what products to sell to suit the remaining booth area." The owner of Thanh Huyen restaurant on Le Hong Phong street said: "The return of the sidewalk as the city has promoted is a correct policy. For a long time, we thought that we could sell goods and pay taxes, and when the authorities came and found any violations, we would pay the fine and continue doing business. But now, if we do it drastically, we can only do business inside the booth, so customers have decreased significantly. In the near future, I will definitely have to cut down on the number of employees. If possible, I hope the city will consider allowing us to do business on the sidewalk by the hour like in some other cities, noon starts from 11 am to 1 pm, afternoon from 6 pm to 8 pm."