On Sept. 30, Hanoi Police held a conference to gather feedback on an automatic bollard system designed to control vehicles and maintain security and public order around the Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian zone.

At present, several access points around Hoan Kiem Lake rely primarily on movable barriers that require the deployment of numerous police officers, according to Hanoi Police.

Opening or closing these checkpoints can take 30-60 minutes, while emergencies require routes to be cleared quickly for priority vehicles.

Hoan Kiem Lake is designated a Special National Historical and Scenic Site. Any bollard system selected for the area must therefore not only meet vehicle-control requirements but also ensure safety, preserve the urban landscape and comply with planning requirements.

At the conference, participants discussed the bollards’ load-bearing capacity, warning systems when they are raised or lowered, operation during power outages or control-system failures, resistance to heavy rain and flooding, and maintenance plans.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Thanh Tung, director of Hanoi Police, called for clarification of the equipment’s origin, materials, technical standards, information security, system architecture and control methods.

He also requested contingency planning to ensure any malfunctions can be handled quickly without disrupting traffic or access for priority vehicles.

Tung also called for careful calculations regarding the number, size and spacing of the bollards, as well as whether they could be removed, relocated and reused if urban planning changes.

Hanoi Police will continue consulting relevant agencies and refining the proposal to ensure the system is coordinated, feasible and effective while avoiding waste before any implementation begins.

Tien Dung