An urban development expert has proposed that Ho Chi Minh City authorities reserve more areas for street food vendors to legally do business without infringing on public space.

Dr. Du Phuoc Tan from the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies made the proposal at the seminar 'Solutions for Managing and Exploiting Sidewalks in Ho Chi Minh City' on Wednesday.

The city should plan ‘food streets’ like Nguyen Van Chiem Street, only a stone's throw from the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon in District 1, and one at Bach Tung Diep Park in the same district, to reduce the encroachment of sidewalks for trade activities, Tan added.

These two food streets are home to 27 stalls with 54 household businesses operating in two shifts per day.

They were provided with the same umbrellas, tables, and chairs to ensure uniformity.

The first two food streets in Ho Chi Minh City have proved successful after six years of operation despite their small scale.

However, their small scale has kept them from making a big impact on the city, the expert explained.

The planning of centralized areas for street food vendors will help ensure security, social order, and food safety, Tan added.

Therefore, he suggested the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee assess the piloting of the two food streets in District 1 and expand the model later on.

The city should give the priority to peddlers who are middle-aged and older and breadwinners of families to do business on such food streets.

It is also necessary to supervise vendors on existing food streets to prevent them from occupying spaces in new areas, Tan recommended.

Another important solution to manage and exploit sidewalks in the city is collecting sidewalk use fees, as stated in a decision by the municipal People’s Committee which will come into force on Friday.

Associate Professor Dr. Huynh Quoc Thang from the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City threw his support behind Tan’s proposal, saying that the model has helped ensure incomes for local residents and improve their living conditions.

Ho Chi Minh City turned Nguyen Van Chiem Street into the city’s first-ever food street in August 2017 and opened the second hub for hawkers at Bach Tung Diep Park in October that year.

Sellers are only permitted to sell either food or drinks, not both, in order to ensure fair competition and benefits to each vendor.

Vendors are also limited to operating for one shift per day and are responsible for cleaning their stalls after their shift ends.

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