Functional forces inspect and handle illegal pavement trading. Photo: nld.com.vn

HCM CITY — Authorities across HCM City on January 22 launched a coordinated campaign to inspect and handle violations related to the illegal occupation and misuse of pavements and roadways at long-standing urban disorder “hotspots”.

During the peak period of the campaign, local People’s Committees and police units in wards including Chợ Lớn, Tây Thạnh, Tam Bình and Nhiêu Lộc worked with the municipal Police Department for Administrative Management of Social Order (PC06) and traffic police to focus on routes and areas where encroachment on sidewalks and roadways has persisted.

In Chợ Lớn Ward, local authorities and traffic police inspected Hải Thượng Lãn Ông Street, a traditional commercial area for decorative goods during festive seasons.

During festive seasons, stalls and displays often extend onto pavements and even into the roadway, narrowing or eliminating pedestrian space and causing traffic congestion, particularly at rush hours.

Security forces temporarily seized eight handcarts, seven tables and five chairs, and issued citations against four cases of motorbikes parked on the roadway causing obstruction. The law enforcement forms part of a targeted plan to restore order along the Hải Thượng Lãn Ông route.

In Nhiêu Lộc Ward, inspections were carried out on Hoàng Sa and Trần Quốc Thảo streets. Authorities recorded widespread use of pavements and roadways for food and drink businesses, with tables, carts, cooking equipment and gas cylinders occupying pedestrian space.

Motorbikes parked on the roadway were also found to be obstructing traffic, especially during peak hours. Violating facilities were required to be dismantled and removed, and cases of illegal use of public space were documented for handling.

At the Thủ Đức wholesale agricultural market area, a long-standing urban disorder hotspot, Tam Bình Ward authorities coordinated with traffic police to address the occupation of pavement and roadways for the trading of goods and services.

Large quantities of vegetables and agricultural products were found piled on sidewalks and spilling onto the roadway, with foam boxes, plastic baskets and sacks used for temporary storage and processing. Vehicles stopping and parking irregularly for loading and unloading further narrowed traffic lanes and increased safety risks.

Security forces collected and temporarily seized violating goods and equipment, removed improperly installed signage, and recorded violations related to illegal parking and trading activities, as part of efforts to gradually restore order in the wholesale market area.

In Tây Thạnh Ward, traffic police, PC06 and local authorities conducted patrols around the Tây Thạnh apartment complex, where informal trading and pavement occupation have continued for an extended period.

Fresh food and other goods were displayed along sidewalks and even on the roadway, turning roads into spontaneous markets. The dense buying and selling activity forced vehicles to manoeuvre through narrow gaps, while waste and packaging affected sanitation and urban aesthetics.

Under current regulations, the illegal use of sidewalks and roadways for trading may be fined from VNĐ2 million to VNĐ3 million, while parking motorbikes on the roadway in a manner that obstructs traffic may be fined from VNĐ400,000 to VNĐ600,000 per case. VNS