Unstable electricity situation at some markets in Vinh City

Vinh Railway Station Marketis the second largest market in Vinh City with about 1,700 kiosks and hundreds of small traders. After the Covid-19 pandemic, the trading situation of small traders at Ga Vinh market gradually recovered. However, from June to early July this year, there were frequent sudden power outages at Ga Vinh market, affecting trading and causing frustration for many people.

Vinh Railway Station Market is the second largest in Vinh City but has been experiencing frequent power outages recently. Photo: Quang An

According to the reporter's investigation, power outages at Vinh Ga market rarely happened before, however, in recent days, this incident has appeared continuously. There were even 2-3 power outages in a day, causing the lives and businesses of small traders to be disrupted, and customers were hesitant to come in to buy goods.

Mr. Quang, the owner of an electronics store at Vinh Ga market, was upset: "For nearly a month now, the market has been experiencing power outages. As for us, we sell electronics, so we need electricity for the devices to operate and sell. But the constant power outages have caused the goods to be turned on and off continuously, which can easily lead to fires and damage. Customers cannot even try the goods..."

The area where the circuit breaker serving electricity at Vinh Railway Station market is located has degraded, however, it supplies electricity to more than 1,000 kiosks, leading to the risk of electrical short circuits. Photo: Quang An

Not only Mr. Quang but most of the traders are upset about this situation. Ms. Vo Huong, a trader at the market, said: "The power outage not only affects the business situation of the people but also disrupts the daily life and rest of the traders. On sunny days up to 40 degrees Celsius, under the thin layer of corrugated iron but without electricity to turn on the fan, some households have to use hand fans or buy spare batteries to survive... Some households selling frozen foods, seafood... are also restless because of this incident".

On July 5, the electricity at Vinh Ga market suddenly went out twice.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Le Vinh Hung - Head of Vinh Ga Market Management Board said that the reason was due to the peak hot weather, high electricity consumption, especially in June 2022, the electricity consumption at the market reached 26,000 kWh, while in previous months it was only 18,000 - 20,000 kWh, leading to the Aptomat continuously tripping, causing power outages in the entire market. Meanwhile, the electrical system at Vinh Ga Market has been around for a long time, degraded, and has low capacity, but it is still not possible to invest due to lack of funds.

Faced with the situation of continuous power outages in recent times, the Vinh Railway Station Market Management Board has reported and submitted a petition to Vinh City and Vinh City Electricity for a solution. According to Mr. Hung, in recent days, the Market Management Board and Vinh City Electricity have coordinated to inspect and develop a plan to upgrade the electricity system for the market, expected to be implemented in July 2022.

Many kiosks at Vinh Railway Station market are dilapidated and rundown, with a high risk of fire and explosion. Photo: Quang An

According to the reporter's findings, not onlyVinh Railway Station MarketSome other markets in Vinh City also experienced power outages, although less frequently. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong - Deputy Manager of Phong Toan Market, Ha Huy Tap Ward said: Recently, the electricity system at the market has still had problems, affecting traders as well as the management board's operations. However, fortunately, we have support from the solar power system of surrounding units, so the damage has been somewhat minimized.

It is known that power outages in markets not only affect the business and trade of small traders but also cause inconvenience to people when going to the market and buying goods. More dangerously, now that the hot season has entered its peak, markets are always at high risk of fire and explosion, especially due to unscientific arrangement of goods, messy tents, tangled electrical wires... so if the electricity is unstable, it will easily cause a fire.

Discussing this issue, Mr. Pham Van Nga - Director of Vinh City Electricity said: If the markets have electrical problems or power outages, you can immediately contact the unit for timely inspection and handling. If the power transmission system in the markets has degraded and has low capacity, the Market Management Board must submit a request to increase the capacity so that we can study and coordinate implementation, ensuring electrical safety as well as helping small traders feel secure in doing business./.