Don’t turn Ho Chi Minh City sidewalks and streets into free car parking lots

"I welcome stricter enforcement against illegal car parking." 

That's the reaction I've seen from many fellow residents after news broke that Ho Chi Minh City would crack down on cars parked haphazardly in the downtown area.

And I agree. We shouldn't be turning sidewalks, streets, and alleyways into free parking lots for days, even weeks at a time. 

Is this a matter of drivers choosing convenience and self-interest, or is it because enforcement isn't consistent or effective enough? 

In my opinion, it's both.

Every night in many residential neighborhoods, the same scene plays out: sidewalks and small residential roads become crowded parking zones.

The street in front of my house in Tan Phu District is a small internal road, about eight meters wide, with sidewalks over three meters on each side. 

It used to be a quiet, open space—kids aged five to 10 would freely ride their bikes in the evenings. 

That's no longer the case.

Now, every evening around 7:00 pm, the last 100 meters of our street gets taken over by more than 10 private cars parked overnight. 

Some line up along the road; others climb onto the sidewalk, leaving no space for pedestrians.

One night, an SUV was parked along the curb. 

A woman on a motorbike had to slam on her brakes and nearly fell to avoid hitting a young child who was riding a bicycle out from a nearby house—right in front of the parked car. 

The driver didn't see the child, and the child didn't see the motorbike. 

We all asked: Who owns this car? 

It turned out the owner lived in a nearby alley but couldn't park near their own house—so they just left it on our street.

When I come home late from work, I feel like I'm walking into a car dealership—vehicles of all shapes and sizes parked however they please, cluttering what used to be a pleasant street.

When I go out for an evening walk, I find myself weaving through dozens, if not hundreds, of parked cars. 

Some are covered in tarps, collecting dust and leaves, clearly abandoned for days right on the sidewalk.

To get around them, I often have to step off the curb and into the street. 

I've even seen small trucks and 16-seater vans parked along internal roads in residential zones.

The number of cars clogging our alleys and neighborhood roads is growing by the day. 

Walking legally and safely has become harder and harder. 

It's nearly impossible to take a proper walk without having to dodge cars parked every few meters.

My sister, who lives in an apartment complex, often complains about cars taking up every inch of the surrounding walkways. 

The parking lot is full, so cars spill out, lined up and blocking what should be pedestrian space. 

It makes the area feel cramped and inconvenient, but there's no one to report it to. 

Sometimes, a car sits there for days—and when the owner finally shows up, you find out they don't even live in the building. 

They just brought their car over to 'borrow' space because they don't have parking where they live.

Pass by a café or restaurant, and you'll often have to slow down and look both ways—because there's a car parked right out front with no one inside.

Many car owners simply park on the street, in front of someone else's house, or fully occupy the sidewalk in front of their own. 

Who's right and who's wrong? And when fines finally arrive, can anyone really claim they're being unfairly penalized?

If we continue to accept this reality—cars parked freely on sidewalks, alleys, and roads across the city—what space will be left for pedestrians? 

When narrow streets have cars on both sides, how can anything move through? 

I've seen people get visibly frustrated because they're stuck on a perfectly usable street blocked by someone's idle car, left there day and night.