Dozens of vendors could be seen Friday morning setting up large umbrellas, tables and chairs to sell gasoline, food and drinks on a section of the expressway in Binh Chanh District.
The three-meter chain link fences, set up to keep residents from entering the highway, are visibly damaged in some places.
The gasoline came from truck drivers close to finishing their shifts and seeking to profit.
They use a fuel transfer pump to get the gasoline from the trucks and sell it to vendors, who in turn sell it to other drivers.
Gasoline can be seen leaking onto the road amid sunny weather.
Truck drivers use a machine to pump gasoline out of their tank to sell to vendors on the Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong Expressway in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City on November 11, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van |
A representative of the Binh Chanh urban safety team said vendors have been showing up here for a long time.
Several were fined and their goods confiscated Friday morning. At least five drivers who stopped their truck to purchase goods were also fined.
Authorities are set to increase supervision in the area, restore the fence, and install safety cameras.
Illegal sale of goods on roadsides can draw fines of VND2-3 million in Vietnam.
HCMC – Trung Luong Expressway is nearly 62 kilometers long with four lanes. It allows speeds up to 100 kph.
In other roads in HCMC and Hanoi, illegal gasoline vendors can be seen near fuel stations these days as long lines of customers queue for gasoline amid shortages.