Doan Ngoc Hai, vice chairman of HCM City's District 1, said he would resign if he fails to deal with local pavement encroachment.

   Vice chairman of HCM City's District 1 Doan Ngoc Hai (right)

On February 20, the inspection team of District 1 continued patrolling the streets and fining wrongly parked vehicles or street stalls that illegally encroached onto pavements. 

The offenders included a building owner on Nguyen Trai Street that built a wall that took up the pavement.   

The team asked the owner of District 1 People's Committee's Building for Political Studies to remove the flower pots and illegal constructions on pavement.

"We'll inspect where state agencies are located first to make it an example. We can't punish other people while ignoring state agencies," Hai said. 

"I don't know how the former managers worked but I will take a radical method. 

This problem must be dealt with this year."  

Hai went on to say that if he couldn't take back the pavement for pedestrians, he would resign.

While the inspection was being carried out, a man suddenly came up and reported about an illegal parking case on Nguyen Trai Street. 

The owner of the cafe nearby had used the pavement as its own parking lot and beat him when he criticised them. 

He also reported to the ward authorities many times but the problem hadn't been dealt with.

Hai immediately called the chairman of Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward to clear the pavement.

Owners of illegal parking lots can face fine of VND12.5m (USD548).

Trench drain covered up Wall on pavement to be removed Many drivers fined for wrong parking

Dtinews