A makeshift market in Lĩnh Nam Street in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội plans to dismantle 231 makeshift and unauthorised street markets under a phased enforcement roadmap aimed at restoring urban order and improving traffic safety.

Of these, 75 locations that encroach on roads and pavements and pose risks to traffic safety and city order will be removed within January.

According to a plan recently issued by the Hà Nội People’s Committee, the city aims to complete the clearance of these 75 informal markets by January 30, 2026. The sites have popped up in densely populated areas and are considered hotspots for traffic congestion, urban disorder, degraded cityscapes, and public concerns.

A further 50 trading households operating at makeshift and unauthorised street markets will be fully resolved by June 30 this year, while another 100 households are required to complete relocation by the year's end.

Long-standing informal markets involving more than 100 households and characterised by complex conditions are scheduled to be dismantled by June 30, 2027.

In total, 231 informal markets across Hà Nội fall under the clearance plan.

The municipal People’s Committee stressed that enforcement will go beyond dismantlement, with strict requirements to prevent recurrence and avoid the emergence of new informal markets.

Clear responsibilities have been assigned to ward and commune-level People’s Committees, which are required to implement coordinated clearance measures. Local authorities have also been tasked with drawing up detailed plans to safeguard the livelihoods of affected traders.

Communes and wards must review the operation of formal markets in their areas, assess occupancy rates, infrastructure conditions and capacity to accommodate additional vendors, and arrange for traders from informal markets to relocate to official markets with available space.

Hà Nội has also identified investment in market development as a priority in underserved areas, particularly in communes and wards lacking adequate market facilities, to meet residents’ essential consumption needs.

The construction of new markets, along with the renovation and upgrading of existing ones, will be carried out under the city’s market development and management plan for the 2026–2030 period. These efforts are intended to provide stable trading spaces and help vendors transition confidently to new business locations. — VNS