Hanoi mulls pavement leasing for 123 streets

Hanoi Department of Construction collaborated with local authorities to conduct a survey and assess the current management and use of pavements in 123 streets proposed by the people's committees of 16 districts: Hoan Kiem, Dong Da, Hai Ba Trung, Cau Giay, Tay Ho, Hoang Mai, Thanh Xuan, Ha Dong, Bac Tu Liem, Nam Tu Liem, Long Bien, Hoai Duc, Thanh Tri, Dong Anh, Gia Lam, and Dan Phuong.

Drawing from international and domestic urban experiences, Hanoi Construction Department proposed six criteria for pavement leasing.

Primarily, streets allowed for business must have pavements at least 3m wide, except in special cases in the Old Quarter of Hoan Kiem District; pavement width must ensure 1.5m for pedestrians, technical infrastructure, partial business use, and vehicle parking.

For the Old Quarter, streets with pavements narrower than 3m can be used for business during pedestrian zones or other times permitted by the local people's committee.

Additional criteria include ensuring parking for customers, maintaining safety and civility in business operations, ensuring public order, fire prevention, and environmental sanitation.

Local people's committees need to consult residents before implementing pavement business or temporary vehicle parking to ensure consensus.

The final criterion proposes that business-designated pavements must be licensed by the committees regarding operating time and merchandise, ensuring urban development, tourism, civilised commercial activities, and alignment with local culture.

Specifically, mobile businesses must be equipped with sales counters according to regulations issued by the local people's committees.

Hanoi Department of Construction also proposed nine models for pavements with widths ranging from 1.5m to over 7.5m, to support urban economic development and temporary vehicle parking.

Model 1 applies to the Old Quarter area, which does not allow business if the pavement width is a maximum of 1.5m. Specifically, if the pavement width reaches a maximum of 1.5m, the entire space is reserved for pedestrians and people with disabilities.

If pavements are between 1.5m and 3m wide, the remaining width adjacent to buildings and houses can be licensed for business; the 1.5-metre width adjacent to the roadway is reserved for pedestrians and people with disabilities.

The scope of application for Model 1 is the Old Quarter area during pedestrian zone events or other times permitted by people's committees, while simultaneously meeting the basic criteria in the proposal.

The remaining models apply to pavements wider than 3m up to over 7.5m, prioritising a minimum of 1.5m width in the middle for pedestrians, with the inner space adjacent to houses and buildings arranged for business, while the section adjacent to the roadway is used for bicycle and motorcycle parking if space permits.

The draft also introduces regulations for temporary exploitation and use of part of pavements and streets for vehicle storage. The issuance, adjustment, and revocation of street and pavement leasing permits for vehicle storage or business are implemented by Hanoi Transport Department and local people's committees according to decentralisation.

The permit content must clearly specify the scope, time, and organisations or individuals authorised to use part of the pavement for road vehicle storage or business. The detailed implementation and fee structures for pavement usage are also specified in the draft, with fees ranging from $1 to $2 per square metre per month.

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