HCMC mulls renting out sidewalk

In a recent proposal, the department listed businesses applicable for using sidewalk spaces for a fee, including services, selling goods, parking lots, organizing cultural events, and transport hubs for storing materials used in construction work and domestic waste.

The department has yet to propose the specific fee for each use.

It also said that each street must allow at least a 1.5 meter wide area of sidewalk on both sides for pedestrian use before the sidewalk space is rented out.

The encroachment of roadways and sidewalks has remained an issue in Ho Chi Minh City for many years.

Many sidewalk areas are occupied by pubs, vendors, and local businesses, leaving no area for pedestrians to walk.

District authorities have repeatedly launched campaigns to restore order on the sidewalks, but the problem has never been properly dealt with.