Residents of some streets in downtown Da Nang City, central Vietnam have taken various measures to forbid drivers from parking their cars on the streets, where parking is lawful.

The Vietnamese people’s popular saying 'imperial power bends to suit rural customs,' or local norms are so powerful that they can overrule any other authority, has become a daily practice for residents of Huynh Thuc Khang Street, Nguyen Du Street, and Ly Thuong Kiet Street in Hai Chau District and Tran Cao Van Street in Thanh Khe District, Da Nang when it comes to car parking.

These streets are known as dine-in routes with many eateries and cafés whose owners consider the roadway in front of their premises a precious space to welcome only their customers.

These owners have set up different obstructions, some of which can be dangerous for vehicles and road users, on the roadway section in front of their eateries to prevent random drivers from parking their cars there.

They remove the barriers only for cars of their customers.

As observed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, the owner of a drinking restaurant on Nguyen Du Street even went as far as placing a broken scooter on the roadway for two years already.

“I pay a hefty rent to run this café, but many drivers don’t think about it,” said the owner of a coffee shop on Tran Cao Van Street.

“Many drivers come early in the morning only to park their cars here and then go elsewhere to do their business until the afternoon, so how can I still do my business?” the owner complained.

Drivers who park their cars on these streets for any purpose other than having a meal at the eateries are likely to pay the price.

Tran Trung Tin, a Da Nang citizen, said he once had shrimp sauce and raw vegetable waste all over his car’s windshield after parking it under the tree shade between two houses on Ly Thuong Kiet Street for a while.

“I guess the owner of a nearby noodle shop was annoyed at my car, so he played badly,” said Tin. 

“There was no evidence for such a small matter, so I quietly let it go. 

“Since then, every time I park my car on the street, I have had to watch nearby eateries carefully.”

An official of Hai Chau District told Tuoi Tre that the rapid increase in the number of cars in Da Nang in recent years has put pressure on the local infrastructure, particularly leading to a lack of parking spaces on central roads.

As the district’s public parking lot cannot meet demand, the authorities allow parking on many roadways, including the aforementioned streets.

However, complaints about eatery owners placing obstacles to prevent drivers from parking their cars there have flooded in. 

Although the authorities remind them to remove the obstructions, it is difficult to handle them thoroughly, according to the official.

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