In case you haven’t heard, battling sidewalk encroachment is currently the top priority of municipal authorities in both Saigon and Hanoi.
On Tuesday, VnExpress reports, Vice Chairman Doan Ngoc Hai of the District 1 People’s Committee once again made headlines after his sidewalk-clearing campaign resulted in police towing away two cars owned by Australian diplomats. The vehicles were reportedly parked in the wrong place, thus prompting traffic officers to remove the cars and bring them to the district station.
“There must be no exception. Anyone coming to our country must respect our rules,” Hai told the news source. “They must not park on the sidewalks.”
According to local media, a spokesperson from the Australian mission has confirmed the identity of the cars.
Since the beginning of the campaign, which kicked off in earnest late last month, many Saigoneers have been wondering about the fate of their parked vehicles, should a sidewalk-clearing team descend upon the neighborhood. Tuoi Tre quoted government decree Number 46 regarding administrative road traffic violations, saying that depending upon the parking agreement, two different parties could be fined.
Specifically, if a customer parks their motorbike on the pavement without involving the shop owner, they will be fined for “leaving motorbikes on the street or the pavement against the law”. However, if a parking attendant is present and agrees to look after the vehicle – be it via an oral contract or an official parking ticket – then the store will be responsible for the fine due to the violation of “occupying the street or the pavement to open a parking lot”.
[Photo via VnExpress]
