Unwanted street poles in Hanoi criticised

The locals and experts have strongly criticised the authorities after 200 red poles were set up along Dinh Thon Street in My Dinh Ward, Hanoi, over a month ago.

The locals and experts have strongly criticised the authorities after 200 red poles were set up along Dinh Thon Street in My Dinh Ward, Hanoi, over a month ago.

  

Red poles on Dinh Thon Street

According to the authorities, the red poles are set up for multiple uses such as hanging flags, lanterns or advertisement banners on special occasions. While the authorities claimed that the poles make the street more organised, the locals said they were an eyesore.

Dao Ngoc Nghiem, deputy head of Hanoi Urban Planning and Development Association, said architectural designs, green spaces, drainage system and advertising space must be carefully considered in order to create a model street.

"However, each street must have its own characteristic of its people," he said. "The authorities can design the space but they must gain approval from the locals or else it will strip the street of its uniqueness and cause displeasure among the locals."

Nghiem went on to say that if the authorities only focus on making the advertising space simpler, they may make the streets look discordant with the houses. The failure of identical signboards on Le Trong Tan Street should be a warning call.

   

Identical signboards on Le Trong Tan Street have been removed by local people

Architect Hoang Thuc Hao also said that the red poles will soon be put down as many identical signboards on Le Trong Tan Street have been replaced. "The poles take up space and are not aesthetic," he said.

In 2016, many shop owners spoke out against a decision by the local authorities to force all the shops to have the same red or blue shop signs on Le Trong Tan Street as it was difficult for customers to recognise any specific brand. Not to mention that the identical signboards were also low in quality.

After two years, shop owners have replaced most of the signboards with their own ones to attract more customers.