Handling encroachment on traffic safety corridor: Kidnapping and abandoning the disk!

Rampant encroachment and re-encroachment

On many streets in Vinh city, the situation of encroachment on sidewalks for trading, storing construction materials... is still common. Some of the streets include: Ly Thuong Kiet, Hong Bang, Le Viet Thuat, Nguyen Sy Sach...

In addition, encroachment for market purposes occurs in many places. For example, in the Quan Banh market area, although the authorities have put up signs prohibiting parking on the road, and painted lines allowing cars to park on the sidewalk. However, this was only effective at first, but now, although the painted lines and signs are still there, no one is following them.

Ms. QTH, a regular resident of Quan Banh market, said: Although there is a diagonal line painted to allow cars to park on the sidewalk, in reality, all the households on the street are doing business, not to mention allowing street vendors to use it to collect fees, so no one allows them to park their cars. Many households even put up barriers to block them...

Therefore, there is a scene where sellers carelessly display all kinds of goods right on the sidewalk, even on the road, and of course, buyers stop wherever they want, which happens every day. While in reality, the traffic volume on National Highway 1A through this area is very high, making the road even narrower, making it difficult for vehicles to pass, and always posing a risk of traffic accidents.

In Nghi Loc district, not only in Quan Hanh town, but also in many communes, the situation issidewalk encroachmentto erect advertising signs, for business items to be popular. For example, on the Vinh - Cua Hoi road through Nghi Phong commune, advertising signs are erected by businesses close together, perpendicular to the road surface, not only making the road confusing, but also limiting visibility, affecting traffic safety.

Or in Con Cuong town, the encroachment of traffic safety corridors has not been completely resolved. In particular, across the market area, the situation of shops and signs encroaching on the sidewalk is rampant, customers stop and park their cars right on the road...

Previously, on August 29, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 675/KH-UBND on launching a peak campaign to clear violations and prevent re-encroachment of road and railway traffic safety corridors in 2024 in the province. Accordingly, the peak campaign will start from August 30, 2024, and will be launched simultaneously in 21 districts, cities, and towns and will last until January 30, 2025.

The plan clearly states that agencies, units, and localities will strengthen propaganda work, concentrate maximum human resources, means, and equipment at district and commune levels to clear violations and prevent re-encroachment of traffic safety in the province. The focus is on urban routes, inner-city areas, towns, and townships through densely populated areas connected to main routes, national highways, and provincial roads.

Absolutely do not allow the use of sidewalks, roadsides, and curbs for business or trading. Resolutely remove all tents, stalls, tables, chairs, mobile canopies, fixed canopies, etc. on sidewalks, roadsides, curbs, and land areas for protection and maintenance of roads and railways.

For billboards, billboards, outdoor signs must be hung, attached, or mounted on the front or back of the building, parallel to the main road axis and must ensure urban aesthetics; mobile billboards must not be installed on sidewalks, roadsides, protected land, road maintenance, railways, etc.

Attach responsibility to the head

Regarding the cause of encroachment, currently in some localities there are still violations left over from history, such as: In Hung Nguyen district, dozens of kiosks along Provincial Road 542C were leased by the People's Committees of Hung Tan, Hung Thong, Hung Xa communes and Hung Nguyen town before 1995 and have not been completely handled.

In Block 4, Con Cuong town, on Highway 7, which has been expanded many times, the State has not yet compensated or recovered the traffic safety corridor, so the land boundary of households is determined to be from the outer edge of the drainage ditch inward, causing difficulties in handling violations...

In reality, most of the re-encroachment originates from people's habit of doing business and trading along the road, and often after clearance, when the authorities are absent, they re-encroach.

Meanwhile, the sanctions are not strong enough to deter, the authorities do not have enough human resources, means and funds each time they go out to clear violations. In addition, the re-encroachment situation occurs because the localities are not really determined, not synchronous and timely. The sense of responsibility of some officials and civil servants in clearing violations and preventing re-encroachment of traffic safety corridors is not high. The Traffic Safety Committees at district and commune levels still carry out their work in a part-time manner, so they are not really focused and the efficiency is not high...

Talking to us, Mr. Phan Huy Chuong - Deputy Standing Member of the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee said: Based on the plan to launch a peak campaign to clear violations and prevent re-encroachment of road and railway traffic safety corridors in 2024, on October 3, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2591/QD-UBND on the establishment of an interdisciplinary team to inspect the work of clearing violations and preventing re-encroachment of road and railway traffic safety corridors.

The delegation was divided into 2 groups, each group inspected 5 localities including the districts of Que Phong, Quy Hop, Quy Chau, Anh Son, Tuong Duong, Ky Son, Do Luong, Nghi Loc, Cua Lo town and Thai Hoa town.

At the end of the inspection, the interdisciplinary team will summarize and report the inspection results to the Provincial People's Committee; at the same time, recommend and propose measures to overcome existing shortcomings, limitations, difficulties and obstacles in the work of clearing violations and preventing re-encroachment of road and railway traffic safety corridors at the district and commune levels according to regulations.

The Department of Transport will be the agency in charge of synthesizing the results, reporting to the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council and the Provincial People's Committee; and at the same time, considering and giving opinions on violations that need to be handled according to the proposal of the interdisciplinary delegation.

For district-level localities not on the inspection list, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the interdisciplinary team to develop a detailed outline and appendix and send it to the District People's Committee to organize self-inspection, assessment and report results.

According to Mr. Phan Huy Chuong, in order to effectively implement the direction of the Provincial People's Committee in Plan No. 675/KH-UBND, departments, branches and localities at district and commune levels need to strengthen the urging, resolutely direct the deployment, maintain the force to clear and prevent re-encroachment of traffic corridors. Along with that, assign responsibility from the Chairman of the People's Committee, the head of the police at the commune and ward levels for the results of the implementation of clearing violations and preventing re-encroachment of traffic safety corridors in the assigned areas... Only then can we prevent cases of re-encroachment, and not let the current situation of "kidnapping and abandoning the plate" occur in handling violations of traffic safety corridors.