Hanoi street vendors play hide-and-seek with patrols in market cleanup drive

Municipal authorities are facing a persistent "cat-and-mouse" struggle as they attempt to clear hundreds of makeshift street markets that have long obstructed sidewalks and roadways across the capital. Despite a phased citywide plan to dismantle 231 temporary markets, many vendors are opting to dodge patrols rather than relocate to formal stalls, citing high overhead and a drop in foot traffic.

The clearance campaign, known as Plan 373, aimed to remove 75 sites in its initial phase earlier this year, with another 118 scheduled for closure by June 30. However, enforcement officers admit they are stuck in a repetitive cycle. When patrol cars arrive, vendors quickly retreat into narrow alleys or pull their wares behind painted boundary lines, only to resume business on the pavement minutes after the authorities depart.

The Economic Dilemma for Vendors
For many of the estimated 10,000 vendors affected by the crackdown, the transition to formal market stalls is financially daunting. Those who have moved into rented spaces report a significant decline in sales.

Lower Visibility: Vendors like Thanh Thuy, a pork seller in Ba Dinh District, noted that her daily sales dropped by a third after moving indoors because customers prefer the convenience of "drive-by" shopping on the street.

New Expenses: Sellers who previously operated for free now face monthly rents of approximately VND2 million (US$76) or daily fees, eating into slim profit margins that rarely exceed a few hundred thousand dong per day.

Casual Trading: Older residents who sell home-grown produce often feel that renting a permanent spot is not worth the investment for their small-scale, sporadic sales.

Enforcement Challenges and Public Habits
Hanoi officials acknowledge that the issue is not merely one of vendor compliance, but is deeply rooted in the habits of local consumers. Lieutenant Colonel Le Xuan Tho of Gia Lam Commune pointed out that the demand for these markets is sustained by residents who find it more convenient to stop their motorbikes on the roadside than to park and enter a formal market.

In wards like Ngoc Ha and Khuong Dinh, the government has attempted to ease the transition by arranging discounted spots in main markets for as little as 8,000 to 10,000 dong per day. Despite these incentives, registration remain low. Many vendors who do take up formal stalls eventually "spill" back onto the street to compete with illegal hawkers who continue to capture the attention of passing commuters.

Looking Ahead
While smaller wet markets with fewer than 50 vendors have been successfully cleared in some districts, larger hubs with hundreds of sellers are being dismantled more gradually to avoid total loss of livelihood. Hotspots in areas like Kim Giang and Nguyen Trai remain high priorities for clearance before the end of 2026.

Authorities emphasize that while clearing the streets can be achieved through peak enforcement, eliminating sidewalk trading is a long-term challenge. Success will likely depend on shifting the convenience-driven shopping habits of the public and providing more viable, high-traffic alternatives for low-income sellers.