Living miserably on Nguyen Tai 'drinking street'
Insecurity, environmental pollution, traffic congestion... are the complaints sent to Nghe An Newspaper by people living along Nguyen Tai Street (Vinh City). According to them, the reason is because the closed canal No. 2 running parallel to Nguyen Tai Street was "forced to be planned" and became a "drinking street".
Nhat Lan• March 24, 2025
Insecurity, environmental pollution, traffic congestion... are the complaints sent to Nghe An Newspaper by people living along Nguyen Tai Street (Vinh City). According to them, the reason is because the closed canal No. 2 running parallel to Nguyen Tai Street was "forced to be planned" and became a "drinking street".
In early March 2025, representatives of households living in Block 2, Truong Thi Ward and Binh Yen Block, Hung Binh Ward came to Nghe An Newspaper to submit a petition reflecting the above problems.Nguyen Tai StreetThe cause is from the food and beverage shops located on the wastewater canal number 2 of Vinh city.
The petition is quite long, with each item detailing the problems that have disrupted people's lives. That is the pollution caused by restaurants and diners' lack of awareness in dumping waste. Leftover food waste, packaging, bottles, cans, etc., thrown on sidewalks and streets, along with diners' indiscriminate cleaning, causes serious environmental pollution. Especially in the rainy season, when canal No. 2 is often clogged, causing flooding and a foul smell that seeps into every house on the street and in the alleys.
Since the number 2 ditch started to sell beer and alcohol, there have been many quarrels and fights on the street, especially at night. There have been fights that caused injuries, forcing the authorities to intervene, making the people in the area feel uneasy.
Not only that, these businesses often emit loud noises from loudspeakers and the loud shouting of people drinking alcohol, seriously affecting people's sleep and children's learning.
Since becoming a drinking and eating street, Nguyen Tai Street has been in a state of serious traffic congestion. Vehicles are parked haphazardly, narrowing the road, making it difficult for people in the neighborhood to move around, and there is a constant risk of collisions and traffic accidents.
Also because of the unsanitary condition, Nguyen Tai Street no longer retains its original beauty; alleys and public spaces are also occupied, causing difficulties in daily life and damaging the urban image.
In addition, food establishments also pose potential fire and explosion hazards to residents in the area; affect the health of customers who consume food from these establishments because they do not ensure food hygiene and safety; and operate food businesses right on the canals that carry toxic wastewater...
That is the content of the petition, and the representative, in a state of frustration, said that they had been knocking on the doors of the competent authorities for the past few years. From there, they learned that the licensing of food and beverage businesses on canal No. 2, Nguyen Tai Street contradicted the Pedestrian Street Pilot Project.
“According to the Walking Street Pilot Project, Nguyen Tai Street is only allowed to sell snacks, drinks, coffee, etc., and businesses must return it to its original state after the walking street opens at 11 p.m., not as a drinking street like it is now…” – the representative affirmed.
At the same time, he said that around December 2024, their petition was resolved by the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward. At the meeting, coordinated by the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward with representatives of a number of departments and units under the People's Committee of Vinh City and the Executive Committee of Block 2, all confirmed that the people's reflection was true, and the Chairman of the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward, Mr. Ho Sy Dung also concluded.
However, the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward does not have the authority to completely handle this issue, but can only prepare a report on handling the petition, with some recommendations and proposals to send to the People's Committee of Vinh City.
But sadly, after the report on December 30, 2024 of the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward, nothing has changed. The problems from the businesses are still recurring, even more complicated because from the beginning of 2025 until now, the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward has not directly managed or signed contracts with these businesses anymore...
“We hope that the Vinh City People’s Committee will permanently close the drinking street on canal number 2, Nguyen Tai street, so that people can ensure their right to live and have their health protected…” – said the representative of the households.
In the petition, there is confirmation from the representative of the Executive Committee of Block 2, Truong Thi Ward and Binh Yen Block, Hung Binh Ward. Specifically, Mr. Duong Van Chuyen - Head of Block 2 commented: "The petition is completely correct, it has affected the lives of people around Nguyen Tai Street. The business at 18A Nguyen Tai has been handled many times. So we respectfully request the competent authorities to resolve the matter so that security and order are ensured, and the people's lives are peaceful". Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Huyen - Head of Binh Yen Block commented: "The Executive Committee of Binh Yen Block, Hung Binh Ward respectfully requests the competent authorities to consider and resolve the matter".
Contacted, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Huyen said that the food stalls on ditch No. 2, Nguyen Tai Street are managed by Truong Thi Ward. However, some houses in Binh Yen block are close to these stalls, so since they started operating, problems have arisen, affecting people's lives. The stalls are blocking ditch No. 2, affecting the flow, causing congestion during the rainy season; cars and motorbikes are parked haphazardly, causing traffic jams; customers after eating and drinking defecate in public places...
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Huyen said: “The shops are open all night. The houses of the residents of Binh Yen block nearby are basically no longer peaceful…”. At the same time, he said that he participated in the petition settlement session organized by the People’s Committee of Truong Thi Ward, and stated the current situation and recommended that the competent authorities consider and resolve this issue.
Block 2 block leader, Truong Thi ward, Mr. Duong Van Chuyen indignantly said: "Day and night, I keep my phone open 24/7 to receive people's feedback on pressing issues in food and beverage business activities on ditch 2, Nguyen Tai street, promptly reporting to superiors."
According to Mr. Chuyen, there are many problems that have existed and are still existing on Nguyen Tai Street. Vehicles are left haphazardly on the road, in the alleys... causing traffic jams and unsafety. Besides that, there is pollution and unhygienic conditions due to "renting out food and drink businesses on the wastewater canal but there are no toilets so there is always a situation where customers run to people's houses to defecate indiscriminately..."; and the drinking, shouting and making noise in the middle of the night causing disturbances.
“After a day of work, everyone needs to rest. And school-age children need quiet to study. However, noise all night long is very harmful…” - Mr. Chuyen said.
The block leader of block 2 also recounted many times when he called on and encouraged people to quickly clean up ditch 2 to clear the flow and prevent flooding. “Every year, Nguyen Tai Street is flooded because of the blocked flow. The households around there are suffering, but the grassroots cadres are also very hard-working…” – he lamented.
Mr. Duong Van Chuyen even mentioned a number of incidents of scuffles and fights; including the use of weapons that were handled by the ward police, thereby affirming: "The ward police also found that allowing food and beverage businesses on ditch No. 2, Nguyen Tai Street was unreasonable, causing consequences...".
Therefore, according to Mr. Chuyen, the petition of the residents “not allowing food and beverage businesses on canal No. 2” is completely justified. “I do not agree that the meeting to resolve the petition organized by the People’s Committee of Truong Thi Ward lacked city leaders. In such a meeting without the participation of city leaders, how can this problem be thoroughly resolved…”, Mr. Chuyen wondered.
At the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward, we saw Report No. 452/BC-UBND dated December 30, 2024 sent to the People's Committee of Vinh City on the settlement of petitions of households living in Block 2, Truong Thi Ward and Binh Yen Block, Hung Binh Ward. We saw in the report that the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward concluded: "The content of the petition is completely accurate".
And within the assigned authority, the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward requires business households on canal No. 2 to strictly implement the signed commitments and current regulations of the law; not to do business after 11:00 p.m. On the other hand, direct the Urban Order Regulation Team, Truong Thi Ward Police to coordinate with the City Urban Order Management Team and the City Center for Culture, Information and Communication to strengthen inspection and handling of related issues.
Notably, there is a proposal for the City Center for Culture, Information and Communication to organize the signing of lease contracts for business locations on canal 2 for management; to study and propose that the city supplement business locations on canal 2 with items such as lighting systems for Binh Yen alleys, public restrooms, electricity and water systems, parking spaces, etc.; to advise and propose to the Vinh City People's Committee a plan to reorganize business types at locations on canal 2 in accordance with the situation.
Living nearby, I often go to check with the police and urban order officers. My personal opinion is that the arrangement of business on ditch No. 2, Nguyen Tai Street is not consistent. If there is an input, there must be an output. Even temporary food businesses must have restrooms planned, but there are none here. There is also no parking space planned, while the road is narrow, so how can it not cause traffic pressure and congestion? The ditch No. 2 section there is at the end of the source, so it is always congested, causing flooding... making people very upset. Regarding the ward's responsibility, it has organized inspections and handling of violations many times, sometimes going to inspect and handle violations at 1-2 am. However, everything is back to normal...".
Mr. Mai Ngoc Luong - Vice Chairman of People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward
Working with the City's Center for Culture - Information and Communication, it is known that because the people's problems have not been completely resolved, the Center has not signed contracts, nor has it collected fees from businesses on canal No. 2, Nguyen Tai Street.
In addition, because the Center is assigned to organize and manage the walking street on Friday and Saturday nights every week, it only operates until 11pm; therefore, it cannot control the food and beverage shops that operate continuously all days of the week.
According to Deputy Director of the City Center for Culture, Information and Communication Vu Hong Duc, when assigned to manage the walking street, the Center surveyed the food and beverage business system on ditch No. 2, Nguyen Tai Street, and found some shortcomings. Therefore, in early March 2025, the Center submitted a report to the Vinh City People's Committee.
Upon receiving the petition, we have reviewed the relevant documents. In the Project for piloting the walking street (approved by the Vinh City People's Committee in Decision No. 5243/QD-UBND dated September 5, 2025), it is shown that when developing the project, there was a survey of the people's consensus, and the plan for organizing business on the sidewalk, the part above the Nguyen Tai canal was determined as: "Used for rent to sell snacks, grilled food, drinks...".
However, on May 7, 2020, by Decision No. 2218/QD-UBND, Vinh City People's Committee arranged the area of ditch No. 2, Nguyen Tai Street to "do business in street food", "business hours all days of the week".
Meanwhile, related households as well as grassroots officials of Binh Yen block, Hung Binh ward and block 2, Truong Thi ward all affirmed that they were not consulted before this change!
Recently, we have been to the food business area on ditch No. 2, Nguyen Tai Street many times. Thereby, we found that the reflection of the households in this area is correct. Ditch No. 2 carries wastewater, the space above and on both sides of the ditch is narrow, it is impossible to arrange sanitary facilities, Nguyen Tai Street is only 8m wide, surrounded by densely populated houses. Therefore, the arrangement of a system of food businesses does not ensure food hygiene, causing environmental pollution, traffic congestion, loss of security and order...
Therefore, it is necessary to stop the food industry business to reorganize and renovate the appropriate business model, thereby ensuring the people's right to live!
