Taxis, stores face more difficulties with no-stopping, no-parking sign increase

Growing inconvenience

Nguyen Luong, a resident of Binh Hung Commune, Binh Chanh District, has a child attending high school in the city center. Previously, on their morning drive to school, his child would stop by a fast-food stall on Duong Ba Trac Street in District 8, grab a quick meal, and eat in the car on the way. However, in the past few months, new no-stopping and no-parking signs have appeared, restricting stops from 6 to 9 a.m.

Concerned about the hefty fines for violations, Luong told his child they could no longer stop for food on the way to school, as the cost of a fine would make breakfast far too expensive. As a result, his wife now wakes up earlier to prepare breakfast at home before the children leave for school. The entire 5 km stretch from Duong Ba Trac Street (District 8) through Nguyen Van Cu Street (District 5) to Cong Hoa Roundabout is now lined with no-stopping and no-parking signs during peak hours from 6 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., when traffic and commercial activity are at their busiest.

This is just one of many cases recorded by SGGP reporters about the inconvenience caused by these regulations. T., a driver for a ride-hailing taxi service, was recently fined for stopping on Le Loi Street in District 1 while dropping off a passenger heading to Takashimaya shopping center. He explained that the mall has two designated drop-off points on Pasteur and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia streets, but when customer traffic is high, these areas become congested, causing long delays.

"In the past, taxi drivers used to wait on Le Loi Street to pick up and drop off passengers, but after being fined, we now have no choice but to endure long traffic jams to reach the official drop-off area since stopping on Le Loi Street is no longer an option," T. said.

P., a driver for Xanh SM Taxi, shared, "These days, taxi drivers must strictly follow the rules. Even if I don't make enough money for the day, I have to accept it because if I get fined, I won’t just lose money—I could also have points deducted from my license or even have it revoked, which would mean being out of work for a long time." He added that before accepting a trip, he now calls the passenger to confirm the address. If the destination is on a street with no-stopping and no-parking signs, he simply refuses the ride.

Many businesses on major streets like Le Loi, Nguyen Trai, Vo Van Tan, and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai are struggling as customers can no longer stop to make purchases. Hoang Thi Thu Ha, who runs a business on Nguyen Bieu Street in District 5, said, “Before, customers could pull over for a quick purchase, but now they’re afraid of getting fined and just go elsewhere. Delivery services like taxis and Grab also avoid these areas to prevent fines, both immediate and from traffic cameras. Shipping companies can’t stop for deliveries either, so they have to park far away and use motorbikes to transport packages one by one, which is incredibly inconvenient.”

Residents on these streets are also facing difficulties as they can no longer park in front of their homes. Ngo Ngoc Thuan, who lives on Nguyen Trai Street in District 1, shared, “There’s no parking space near my home. Before, we could stop for a few minutes, but now it’s completely banned. My elderly parents have a hard time getting a taxi because drivers won’t risk stopping to pick them up.”

The issue is even more serious for those with sick relatives who need urgent transportation. Hospitals like Tu Du, Binh Dan, and Saigon General all have no-stopping and no-parking signs, making it difficult to bring patients in for emergency care.

“Consultation conducted before installing signs”

According to Sai Gon Giai Phong reporters, many streets in HCMC's central districts are now lined with no-stopping and no-parking signs at various restricted hours. These include Le Loi, Ly Tu Trong, Nguyen Du, Le Duan, Dong Khoi, Nguyen Hue, Nguyen Cong Tru, Ho Tung Mau, Ton That Dam, Pasteur, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Pho Duc Chinh, Ky Con, Yersin, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Nguyen Thai Binh, Le Thi Hong Gam, Ham Nghi, Tran Hung Dao, Pham Ngu Lao, Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Trung Truc, Phan Boi Chau, Thu Khoa Huan, Phan Chu Trinh, Truong Dinh, Le Anh Xuan, Dien Bien Phu, Hai Ba Trung, Mac Dinh Chi, Dinh Tien Hoang, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Phung Khac Khoan, Nguyen Binh Khiem, Tran Khac Chan, Tran Quang Khai, Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ly Chinh Thang, and Vo Thi Sau. Many residents have noted that some of these restrictions were introduced only recently.

What criteria and regulations were used to install these hundreds of no-stopping and no-parking signs? Mr. Do Ngoc Hai, Head of the Department of Road Traffic Infrastructure Management under the HCMC Department of Transport, explained that the initial goal was to improve traffic safety and prevent unauthorized passenger pick-ups and drop-offs. The department first installed no-stopping and no-parking signs on 13 streets where illegal transport services were frequently operating and placed surveillance cameras at key locations where violations were common.

According to the Road Traffic Law, no-stopping and no-parking signs (P.130) are placed at intersections, high-traffic areas, in front of government offices, hospitals, and schools, as well as in locations with difficult traffic conditions such as narrow bridges, sharp curves, and small alleys. However, after the implementation of Decree No.168, the HCMC Traffic Police Division (PC08) under the HCMC Department of Public Security recommended expanding these restrictions to approximately 500 congestion-prone locations.

“Before installing signs, the Department of Transport collaborates with relevant agencies and PC08 to conduct surveys, gather feedback, and issue public notifications. These signs are not placed arbitrarily,” Mr. Do Ngoc Hai emphasized. Since late December 2024, the department has installed signs on 390 street sections based on PC08’s recommendations. Additionally, local authorities have independently placed no-stopping and no-parking signs on roads under their jurisdiction, beyond the department’s oversight.

“For residents living on restricted streets, if they have a family member who is ill and cannot travel by motorbike, their only option is to call an ambulance,” Mr. Do Ngoc Hai said. The Department of Transport currently reports that 390 street sections have been designated with no-stopping and no-parking signs.