Seven wards in District 1 have expressed their desire to set up street food zones in addition to the two that were established earlier this year, following the city’s sidewalk purge.
In a meeting on Tuesday, District 1 Chairman Tran The Thuan said that the new zones will follow the success of the first two areas and coincide with the city’s sidewalk clearing efforts, according to VnExpress.
The new zones are expected to be similar to the ones on Nguyen Van Chiem Street near Notre-Dame Cathedral and in Bach Tung Diep Park near the Reunification Palace. The areas require surveillance cameras and vendors must have uniforms, nametags and dishware, in addition to participating in food safety training, as earlier reported.
The established zones are open between 6am and 9am and from 11am to 2pm. Tuoi Tre noted that while the Nguyen Van Chiem food street only offers takeaway dishes, there are tables and parasols for on-site dining at the Bach Tung Diep location. To promote equality, each vendor is only allowed to operate during one of the day’s two open periods. No specific hours or policies have been announced for the potential new zones.
According to the District 1 administration, the zones not only contribute to the sidewalk clearing campaign, but also attract locals and tourists. They aim to compensate many of the displaced low-income sidewalk vendors by offering them space with no booth fees.
The street zones and general sidewalk campaign have been met with some criticism. While the clearer streets have been praised, some people have complained that the zones' business hours are too limited and the venues themselves do not capture the true essence of enjoying street food. Earlier this week, the man behind the street clearing efforts, District 1's Vice Chairman Doan Ngoc Hai, faced pushback from city leaders for his alleged heartless methods.
No time frame has been announced for the opening of the new zones.
