A section of Tràng  Tiền Alley in Hoàn Kiếm District, Hà Nội.—VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Đức

A drafting team looking at how areas on the side of roads and sidewalks are managed in the capital, have proposed imposing an usage fee in Hoàn Kiếm District, the historic heart of the city.

The team were looking at how the sidewalks were being managed and used, and how they could be better exploited.

After more than ten months of research, the drafting team, consisting of representatives from 11 departments and four districts, has submitted to the capital People's Committee the promulgation of the project.

The proposal of a pilot usage fee scheme came after assessing the current management status at 123 local streets in the city and reviewing current regulations.

The drafting team has identified conditions and criteria to consider the temporary exploitation and use of a part of roadbeds for parking, along with the road side strips being used by businesses.

The drafting team submitted nine models of sidewalks to be exploited and used for non-traffic purposes and pointed out seven groups of management solutions.

Accordingly, the fee for temporary use of sidewalks for car parking is the highest at VNĐ240,000 (US$9.4) per sq.m each month in Hoàn Kiếm District, the lowest is VNĐ20,000 ($0.78) per sq.m each month Sơn Tây Town and other suburban districts.

The fee for temporary use of sidewalks to park motorbikes and bicycles in Hoàn Kiếm District is the highest VNĐ135,000 ($5.2) per sq.m each month, the lowest is VNĐ20,000 ($0.78) per sq.m each month in Sơn Tây Town and other districts.

The temporary use of roadbeds and sidewalks for business on main streets of four downtown districts of Hoàn Kiếm, Ba Đình, Đống Đa and Hai Bà Trưng, for cultural, culinary streets and night markets, applies a fee of VNĐ45,000 ($1.76) per sq.m each month.

The fee for remaining main streets of eight other districts costs VNĐ40,000 ($1.56) per sq.m each month.

It costs VNĐ25,000 ($0.97) per sq.m per month for streets in Sơn Tây Town. The fee is VNĐ20,000 ($0.78) per sq.m each month for streets in the suburb districts.

Rental fees comply with Resolution No. 06/2020 of the capital People's Council.

After evaluating the initial results, the city will continue to consider whether to roll out the pilot across other urban areas of other districts.

Hoàn Kiếm has been currently the only district in the capital that rent sidewalks for businesses and has been doing so since 2021.

Locations for rent, mainly coffee, refreshments, fast food are at No. 30, 94 Lý Thường Kiệt, No.11 Lê Phụng Hiểu, No.15 Ngô Quyền. The rental fee is VNĐ45,000 ($1.76) per sq.m per month, the licence period for temporary use of the street is six months.

At the end of last year, the district proposed to pilot phase one of business leasing on 10 streets with 36 positions, consisting of 15 locations on five streets of Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hàng Khay, Hàng Bài, Nguyễn Xí and Lê Thái Tổ and 21 locations on five streets of Lý Thường Kiệt, Phan Chu Trinh, Bà Triệu, Lê Phụng Hiểu and Ngô Quyền.— VNS