HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội’s departments of Transport and Finance have agreed on setting up teams to inspect and handle unreasonable price hikes and violations at parking spots. 

The deal was announced by Nguyễn Mạnh Cường, the transport department’s deputy chief inspector, Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Inspections of parking spots were carried out by the department’s inspectorate during the nine-day Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.

To be more comprehensive, besides streets, the teams will inspect the licensing of parking lots at festivals, relics, pagodas and tourist sites in the coming days.

The teams will check if their business licences are valid, if they operate within licensed areas, regulated price and parking tickets as prescribed.

"Any parking lot operator with two or more violations will be fined and may have their licenses revoked,” Cường stressed.

Referring to price inflation around Tây Hồ Temple in Tây Hồ District early last year, the district People’s Committee told Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that in previous years, car and motorbike parking lots around Tây Hồ Temple were assigned to Huy Khánh Services and Transport Company Limited.

In fact, the company often encroached more parking spaces and collected beyond regulated fees. Even when it was reported by the media, and inspected by the district committee that later found violations, the company continued flouting the law.

“Therefore this year Huy Khánh Company was no longer licensed to do the business,” the district committee said.

“Since the first days of the Lunar New Year, the parking situation around the temple’s entrance has still been in order, and the committee has not recorded any complaint from visitors,” the committee added. — VNS