Encroaching on sidewalks and roads - Who will impose the fines, and who will be fined?

(Baonghean)Currently, in Vinh City, the encroachment on roads and sidewalks for market activities has been ongoing for a long time. This situation causes traffic congestion and disrupts urban order and aesthetics.

Hoang Thi Loan Street is one of the central routes in Ben Thuy Ward. For a long time, the encroachment of sidewalks and roads by residents to set up makeshift markets has been rampant. Notably, this situation occurs right in front of the Ben Thuy Ward People's Committee office, despite the existing "No Markets" sign along the perimeter wall of the People's Committee building. Does this mean the Party Committee, the government, and the relevant authorities of Ben Thuy Ward are not paying much attention to urban order management? Mr. Phan Trong Nguyen – Block 4, Ben Thuy Ward, expressed his frustration: "The road is so chaotic, the market right in the middle of the road is causing traffic congestion, students can't get to school, and the ward just throws stones into a pond."

Not only in Ben Thuy ward, but currently on many streets in Vinh City, the encroachment on sidewalks and roads for market activities is still occurring. At the Quan Banh intersection, the encroachment on National Highway 1A for market activities has been widely reported in the media, but the relevant authorities and departments of the city have yet to take decisive action. Along with the encroachment on sidewalks and roads for market activities, eight parking areas for bicycles and motorbikes have sprung up on the sidewalks of Nguyen Trai Street, with the market management's parking area occupying the largest space. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Sang – Head of the Quan Banh Market Management Board – explained: "Because the market is too small, they encroach onto the road to buy and sell goods. As for parking, it's not just the Market Management Board; many households encroach onto the road to park, so the Market Management Board has to comply as well!"

To ensure traffic safety and maintain urban order, the encroachment on roads and sidewalks must be dealt with decisively. However, with markets being held right in front of the ward's People's Committee office and market management boards brazenly occupying sidewalks for parking bicycles and motorbikes, as seen in Ben Thuy and Nghi Phu, who will be held accountable?