After a group of street vendors beat two youngsters on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in Ho Chi Minh City last week, control over street vending activities in the area has been tightened. However, many vendors has returned to the street just several days later.  

In particular, seven street vendors on the promenade violently beat two young men on November 7, injuring them and causing social disorder. 

Last weekend, after the police detained the seven street vendors involved in the scuffle for investigation, vending activities on the pedestrian street cooled down significantly. 

However, vendors soon returned to the street and began gathering into small groups of two to three people rather than forming large crowds in a single location.

B., an official in charge of ensuring the urban order under the People’s Committee of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, said “After the scuffle, the public order team has been reinforced to ensure the security on the walking street.

Carts of vendors on the pedestrian street. Photo: Bach Nam / Tuoi Tre

“We patrol the street and seize carts whose owners show signs of disrupting public order and encroaching on the roadway.

“At present, street vendors are no longer prevalent on the pedestrian street. Earlier, they crowded the street.” 

However, several days later, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters found that the walking street was full of vending carts, though vendors continuously moved their carts to avoid patrol teams.

Le Nguyen Viet Nam, vice chairman of Ben Nghe Ward, where Nguyen Hue Walking Street is located, told Tuoi Tre that the walking street is an open space with many alleys.

When seeing patrol teams, vendors run to these alleys to conceal themselves and return to the walking street later.

The number of ward-level officials in charge of the public order is modest, so it is difficult for them to enforce regulations.

“The ward will propose the Ho Chi Minh City Infrastructure Management Center, which manages the pedestrian street, hang more warning signs with the hotline of the city authorities so that residents can report cases of social disorder.”

The ward will also publicize its hotline so that locals can reach out for help with urgent cases.

“We are on the spot, so we can make quick responses and support local residents,” Nam said.

He added that Ben Nghe Ward will continue ensuring security and order on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street on a daily basis.

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