A bewildering maze of house numbers.

(Baonghean) - On some streets in Vinh City, there is an inadequacy regarding house numbering, and what is noteworthy is that this occurs even on long-established streets located right in the city center...

Walking along streets like Kim Dong, Nguyen Quoc Tri, Nguyen Tai, etc., you'll notice many duplicate house numbers, with even and odd numbers placed right next to each other. For example, on Nguyen Tai Street, the beginning of the street has even numbers, but the middle section has odd numbers, and many house numbers are duplicated. On Kim Dong Street, house numbers are assigned from all three sides; the section of Kim Dong Street in Hung Phuc ward has a rather chaotic numbering system.

The family of Mr. Trinh Cong Chinh, residing at house number 09, Kim Dong Street, Hung Phuc Ward, stated that Kim Dong Street was originally a long road running through two wards, Hung Binh and Hung Phuc. In 2006, Kim Dong Street began to be extended into Hung Phuc Ward, and this also led to a situation where houses were numbered from all three sides. One side started from the "Devil's Triangle" roundabout, which was the old Kim Dong Street; the new street started numbering from the intersection with Nguyen Van Cu Street; and the other side started from the intersection with Hermann Gmeiner Street. Therefore, on the same street, two or even three houses share the same house number. To cope with this, when using services such as delivery, taxis, or parcel delivery, residents living on Kim Dong Street not only write their house number but also add a nearby "easily recognizable landmark."

Nguyen Tai Street (Hung Binh Ward - Vinh City) has two houses numbered 22, one of which is located next to house number 13.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, residing at house number 22, Nguyen Tai Street, Vinh City, stated that the chaotic house numbering situation has been ongoing for about three years. His house, built 13 years ago, now shares the same house number as his neighbor who moved in above him a few years ago. This causes considerable inconvenience, especially since his family runs a business from home.

The chaotic house numbering system not only inconveniences homeowners but also frustrates postal workers, delivery personnel, and especially taxi drivers. Pham Thanh Cuong, a taxi driver, said that whenever he receives a call from the dispatch center asking him to pick up passengers on these streets, he and his colleagues have to ask carefully to "identify" the addresses. Sometimes, even with careful questioning, they still make mistakes.

Explaining this, Mr. Bui Xuan Uyen, head of Block 1, Truong Thi Ward, said that the chaotic house numbering situation on Nguyen Tai Street began when the road was widened towards the old Alley 1 of Nguyen Van Cu Street. This is why, on the same row of houses on Nguyen Tai Street, half are even numbers and the other half are odd numbers. Some households in the block have raised concerns about this issue, and Truong Thi Ward has instructed the block to prepare a document to gather public opinion so that the ward can develop a specific plan to renumber the houses.

Leaving aside the aesthetic aspect, the issue of duplicate numbers and chaotic order, if left unresolved for too long, will undoubtedly have a significant impact on people's lives. This is especially true when changing addresses on legal documents such as identity cards, household registration, and land ownership documents. Therefore, rectifying the shortcomings in house numbering is essential.

Chu Thanh - Phan Vu