Street vending has a long tradition in Hanoi. It has created jobs and helped increase the income of many poor people from Hanoi and surrounding provinces. The quantity of products sold though this market chain has accounted for a significant proportion of fresh fruit and vegetable sales in Hanoi. However, this activity causes a lot of disadvantages including traffic congestion, environmental pollution, visual pollution and reduced food safety.
It is important to effectively manage street vending to reduce these significant negative effects. This Markets & Development Bulletin discusses some key issues and proposes some solutions as alternatives to eradicating street vending entirely.