The local authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have been trying to stop the operation of makeshift markets that have encroached on roads in the city since early October.

 

The authorities block the entrances to Alleyway 287

The authorities have blocked two entrances to the Alleyway 287 on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street to stop people from bringing goods into a makeshift market inside. The alleyway has improved as households have stored their products inside the houses.

Traders do not want to do business at big markets for various reasons including rental fees, unsuitable locations or lack of regular customers. Customers prefer local markets because it's easy to just drive by and buy something fast on the way home. However, they are also the cause of congestion.

For years, travellers on Le Duc Tho Street have to struggle during rush hours to get pass a section near Truong Dai Bridge, where a makeshift market formed. The market is on the pavement but encroaches on part of the street. Many customers also stop suddenly on the street to buy goods, leading to more severe congestion.

The traffic on Street 6 and near industrial zones like Tan Tao, Linh Trung and Pou Yuen has also worsened because of growing makeshift markets.

Nguyen The Dung, vice chairman of Ward 13 said the market on Le Duc Tho Street was not only causing congestion but also polluting the environment. They are making plans to guide drivers into alleyways to avoid congestion.

In the coming time, they will deal with road encroachment and also fine customers who leave vehicles on the streets. However, Dung admitted that it's a difficult task because as soon as the authorities leave, the markets return.

According to the authorities of Hiep Binh Chanh Ward, they have applied numerous fines and forced traders to remove their kiosks to no avail. As of now, they have successfully prevented people from forming the markets on Street 19 and Hiep Binh Street but face some difficulties when dealing with the market on Street 6 because 300 households have opened businesses there.

There are about 18 makeshift markets in Thu Duc District. The authorities are searching for large plot of land and calling for investment to build markets to deal with the problem. In the mean time, they are tightening management on food safety, environmental issues and taxes at the makeshift markets.

Tran Khanh Linh, chairman of Ward 5, said there were 135 households opened business in Alleyway 287 on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, of which 32 are locals and 103 are from other wards and districts.

"We’re calling for people to contribute to install five cameras for food hygiene monitoring," he said.

Dtinews