Hoi An Ward Secretary: 'No congestion, traffic jams, and chaotic street vending in the old town'

"The ward has just been established and will hold its first Party Congress in the next few days, but there are many things that need to be done to both preserve the heritage and manage it well.

Immediate issues such as traffic, pedestrian street planning, and strict management of street vendors will be addressed immediately to preserve Hoi An's tourism image," Mr. Binh told Tuoi Tre Online before the Hoi An Ward Party Congress.

Resolutely handle street vendors and beggars in Hoi An

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Binh, with this restructuring of the government apparatus, Hoi An's management model is very different from before.

Although there are 3 wards and 1 commune, the current task of all localities is not to separate spaces, to keep Hoi An in a unified whole as it is.

Regarding the recent complaints from tourists and locals about beggars, street vendors, and traffic congestion around the old town, the Hoi An ward secretary affirmed that the forces have begun to step up handling the situation.

Over the past few weeks, the streets have been frequently noisy and the drinking has affected the public space, and the police have stepped up their efforts to deal with it.

Notably, street vendors and pushcarts flooding the streets across the Hoai River have been forced to move into designated areas.

"We understand that street vending is also a livelihood for the neighbors, but if we keep doing it like that, it will be very messy and insecure, even selling goods of unknown origin, taking advantage of tourists.

The ward has requested to move to the designated area, other places will step up handling to gradually restore order in the old quarter" - Mr. Binh said.

According to Mr. Binh, right after the upcoming ward Party Congress, the forces will focus on handling a number of issues related to aesthetics and commerce in the old quarter.

The ward also plans to re-plan street vending locations, where vendors are allowed to sell, and where they must absolutely keep the atmosphere open for visitors to stroll around.

Redrawing the traffic map for Hoi An

Referring to the current traffic congestion during rush hours around the old town, Mr. Nguyen Duc Binh said that Hoi An ancient town currently attracts a large number of visitors every day. Traffic infrastructure and roads are relatively narrow while Hoi An's land fund is too small.

However, in response to the request to make Hoi An more airy and beautiful, Hoi An ward sat down with neighboring wards to calculate traffic regulation.

"The newly established ward cannot solve all the big problems in one term, but urgent problems that can be solved immediately, such as traffic flow, can be solved soon," said Mr. Binh.

The Secretary of the Heritage Ward affirmed that right after the ward congress, they will "redraw the traffic map" to solve the current congestion situation. Parking lots will be established, where taxis and coaches can park, and where tourist vehicles can stop to visit the old quarter.

In particular, Mr. Binh emphasized that the current situation of parking lots being allowed to enter and exit freely at any time will not be allowed, but will have to be rotated.

"Because the number of vehicles is so large, we will calculate which roads are prohibited, and temporary parking lots require vehicles to stop for no more than 3 minutes, 5 minutes or 30 minutes and cannot take up space from other vehicles.

In the near future, the walking street will be expanded to serve the needs of visitors to enjoy and visit heritage sites. Parks and public spaces will also continue to be planned more because Hoi An is currently very crowded" - Mr. Binh affirmed.