The sidewalk in front of house 57A Huynh Thuc Khang (Dong Da district) is damaged by cars every day. — Photo tienphong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Under the orders of the Hà Nội People's Committee, many districts have begun to withdraw parking permits on the sidewalks to avoid pavement damage and subsidence, especially on newly paved streets.

Tạ Hữu Chiến, Chairman of Ba Đình People's Committee, has just asked the People's Committee of 14 wards in the district to preside over and coordinate with the District’s Traffic Inspection Teams to inspect and patrol the streets.

Authorities must assume the responsibility for, and coordinate with, the District Urban Construction Order Management Team, to strengthen the inspection of works under construction on the area's streets, regardless of capital sources and investors. Chiến asked 14 wards to report inspection results before December 25.

In addition, district leaders assigned Ba Đình District Police to coordinate with wards to check and control the streets to prevent stopping and parking cars on the sidewalks. Units and individuals who have been granted temporary pavement permits to park cars are not allowed to park cars on sidewalks. Intentional violations will be strictly handled.

Phạm Tuấn Long, Chairman of Hoàn Kiếm People's Committee, said that following the direction of the Hà Nội People's Committee, the district had directed units to patrol places that are not eligible for cars on the sidewalk. The district also reviews the licensed sidewalk parking spots and will withdraw licenses if necessary.

According to Long, the district is gradually moving towards 100 per cent of sidewalks in the area where there are no cars. These sidewalks, if needed, will allow motorbikes to be parked, stopping cars from climbing onto the sidewalks and causing cracks.

In other central districts such as Hai Bà Trưng and Đống Đa, the People's Committees of the districts are also reviewing and inspecting the units that are keeping cars on the sidewalk and, at the same time, notify the vehicle owners to relocate.

Previously, Trương Việt Dũng, Chief of Staff of the Hanoi People's Committee, said that the Chairman of the City People's Committee Trần Sỹ Thanh had requested investment and management be rectified after investing in pavements in the area.

Specifically, several districts' pavements have experienced stone dislodging, subsidence, cracking and breaking. The cause of this situation is mainly because the construction does not meet the technical requirements, the quality of paving stones, and the management and use after investment and maintenance have not been paid due attention.

Among the issues raised, the Chairman of the Hà Nội People's Committee requested to review and immediately suspend the use of sidewalks as parking spots for cars or the gathering of construction materials that cause damage to pavements.

In the event of a violation, the license will be terminated immediately. The city assigned the Department of Transport and the Department of Construction to strengthen the inspection, examination and strict handling of large trucks travelling on the sidewalks and illegal acts of stopping and parking on the sidewalks or construction activities damaging the pavement structure.

The Hà Nội Department of Construction was assigned to assume the prime responsibility for and to coordinate with relevant departments, city branches and units in inspecting, reviewing and carefully assessing the causes of the pavement paving stones being dislodged, cracked, and broken.

Hà Nội requested to review and evaluate the effectiveness of pavement paving for the list of approved streets, study and standardize technical solutions, and suitable pavement construction materials, and report to the City People's Committee in the first quarter of 2023 for consideration and direction. — VNS