Increasing fees for using roads and sidewalks is reasonable, but the important thing is to manage them, avoid encroachment and degradation, and control revenue sources.

The Hanoi People's Council has just passed a Resolution on amending and supplementing regulations on collecting fees for temporary use of roads and sidewalks, in the direction of increasing fees.

Internet photo.

Some delegates wondered who benefits from increased road and sidewalk fees.

Some delegates suggested increasing the fee level, at the same time strengthening sidewalk management, publicly bidding for car and motorbike parking service points, publicly disclosing revenue sources, avoiding losses...

A delegate explained that increasing sidewalk fees is not primarily to increase revenue, but the main goal is to reduce pressure on inner-city traffic...

Hard to control = not convincing?

In fact, the management of Hanoi's roads and sidewalks has been very weak for a long time.

A typical example is the situation of illegal encroachment on sidewalks for business purposes, including rampant car and motorbike parking, turning the roadway and sidewalk into private property, which is at a difficult to control level. Fees are also arbitrary, not complying with the city's regulated prices.

To reduce the density of personal vehicles entering the inner city, the City People's Council's resolution to increase fees for using roads and sidewalks, which means increasing fees for parking cars and motorbikes, is difficult to convince and not fundamental.

Before the City People's Council passed a resolution to increase fees, car and motorbike parking lots had already increased fees indiscriminately, and people did not know who to complain to, as the authorities intentionally or unintentionally turned a blind eye.

Thus, the fee increase may only legitimize the current overcharging. The fee increase does not force those who need to go into the inner city by personal vehicle to limit or give up because of the new fee.

The problem of reducing inner-city traffic pressure requires comprehensive and synchronous solutions, such as complying with scientific urban planning; increasing public transport; converting some ministry and sector headquarters that have been moved to suburban districts into static parking lots; ending the situation of apartment buildings and skyscrapers springing up in central districts of the city...

Increasing fees for using roads and sidewalks is reasonable, but the important thing is to manage sidewalks and control revenue sources.

Must plan static car parking

Photo: Internet

People in the capital are very skeptical as the situation of encroachment on roads and sidewalks for business purposes has not been thoroughly resolved. The proposed fee increase this time will easily create an excuse for licensed and unlicensed service points to continue to increase prices, making people even more frustrated and skeptical.

Therefore, increasing sidewalk fees needs to go hand in hand with solutions to manage roads and sidewalks, first of all, ensuring a safe space for vehicles traveling on the road and pedestrians on the sidewalks.

Static car parking lots must be planned and managed using modern technology, and bidding must be conducted openly and transparently, encouraging businesses to invest intelligently.

It is necessary to consider revenue from road and sidewalk usage fees as an important source of revenue, supplementing budget revenue.

According to Vietnamnet