Hanoi reclaims sidewalks: Citizens support it, officials are relieved.

This "launch" has given many people renewed hope, even though it wasn't a loud, fanfare-filled campaign.

From sidewalk encroachment becoming "an everyday occurrence"...

My house is in what could be considered the busiest commercial district in Hanoi. For decades, the sidewalks have always been encroached upon by vendors. Initially, there were stalls set up on the sidewalks – gradually, the market management reorganized the area, so those stalls are no longer there. Only a few stalls remain on the street, while the rest are sold inside houses.

Khương Hạ Street (Khương Đình Ward, Thanh Xuân District), formerly bustling with snack stalls, is now spacious, clean, and beautiful. Photo: VietnamNet

Some explain this as stemming from a small-scale farming mentality, leading Vietnamese people to be overly competitive. Evidence of this includes everyone trying to extend their tables further out than their neighbors, even if only by a brick; and signs also having to stick out as far as possible to avoid being obscured. The tendency to avoid inviting customers to designated parking areas also contributes to encroachment on both sidewalks and roads. A second form of sidewalk encroachment involves displaying goods inside the house but still trying to extend the display table outside as far as possible.

The third type is the accumulation of goods on the sidewalk, and the fourth type is the motorcycles belonging to the owners or their customers, occupying the entire sidewalk and leaving no room for pedestrians. This is not to mention the various types of awnings, both fixed and movable, overhanging and protruding, along with all kinds of signs, some horizontal, some vertical, trying to stick out as far as possible into the street.

But from real-life examples, besides those businesses that stubbornly "protrude" onto the street, there are also those that do things quite differently: they contract with parking lots so customers can park for free (the homeowner pays, of course!), and they no longer need to display their goods far out onto the road. Word spread, and they attracted more customers, and as the saying goes: the more generous you are, the more God rewards you.

The sidewalk is clear and spacious, allowing many pedestrians to pass. (Photo: Vietnamnet)

…leading to Hanoi's latest "campaign" of action.

Hanoi isn't launching these campaigns for the first time, but the "start strong, finish weak" approach has been a frequent occurrence for a long time. This means that whenever the city has an important event or a major holiday, they launch a campaign for a short period, and then everything goes back to how it was before.

There's no shortage of whispers that "protection rackets" exist everywhere, meaning that the encroachment on sidewalks and roads for business purposes is tacitly approved by someone in a position of responsibility or connected to the area. Undeniably, this is a serious and troubling phenomenon and problem.

But this latest "launch" has given many people renewed hope, even though it wasn't a loud, fanfare-filled campaign.

Perhaps the first reason is that the city leader frankly "diagnosed the problem," pointing out the reality of police officers "protecting" sidewalk beer stalls. He also clearly and strongly outlined the responsibility of district and ward officials and leaders in the success or failure of sidewalk protection efforts, instead of blaming it on "the people's awareness."

Secondly, the way the operation was conducted, as described by a vice chairman of the ward: "After campaigning and raising awareness among each household, today the ward is organizing a simultaneous operation to clear sidewalks," seems to indicate that Hanoi has correctly implemented the motto: "Hanoi's approach cannot be a massive campaign, but rather a sustainable one, so that people do not re-encroach, everyone is convinced and feels they must be conscious of the capital, not littering or encroaching on sidewalks."

Civil defense forces, women's associations, and youth unions of Le Dai Hanh ward, Hai Ba Trung district, are reminding shops on Hoa Lu street about regulations. (Photo: Vietnamnet)

In my ward, for several days now, we've seen people from the Ward People's Committee reminding businesses along the street to clean up voluntarily, instead of scrambling to do it on the day of the campaign.

Just as people understand that in traffic jams, if everyone slowly gives way, traffic will flow faster, and the more people push, the more congested it becomes; the same applies to sidewalks and roads. If everyone moves back for the common good, the sidewalks will be clearer and easier for businesses to operate, not more difficult…

Of course, in the long run, Hanoi will still have to continue to fundamentally and sustainably address issues of social welfare for people doing business, parking facilities, etc. Doing so will not only harmonize public and individual interests, but will also ensure long-term effectiveness. Once it becomes a way of life, the government will not need to expend too much effort maintaining order.

According to Vietnamnet