Final article: Need a solution to remove the "matrix" of street names

As Sa Pa urban area develops, naming streets in Sa Pa town is very necessary.
Photo: Huy Truong

Naming and renaming streets is necessary.

In 2019, the National Assembly Standing Committee issued Resolution 767 on the establishment of Sa Pa town and wards and communes in Sa Pa town (including 16 wards and communes). According to the urban development plan, many roads and streets in the town have been completed and the population has been arranged stably. However, some roads and streets have not been named, causing difficulties for administrative management, urban management and people's transactions. Therefore, the issuance of Resolution 31 by the Provincial People's Council on naming roads and streets in Sa Pa town is very necessary, in order to effectively implement urban management and administrative management, creating favorable conditions for organizations and individuals in activities and transactions. The naming of roads and streets after famous people, historical and cultural relics, famous landscapes, etc. also contributes to educating historical and cultural traditions, enhancing national pride and love for the homeland and country for the people.

Reasonable street names will help visitors avoid unnecessary confusion when coming to Sa Pa.

Based on the actual situation and in accordance with the wishes of the people, the People's Committee of Sa Pa town has directed the relevant agencies to survey and evaluate the current status of the roads and streets expected to be named, and at the same time, based on the bank of road and street names and public works of Lao Cai province to plan to name them in accordance with the meaning of the place name, the importance of the historical event, and the merits of the famous person.

From May 2020, the process of collecting public opinions on naming and renaming roads, streets and public works in Sa Pa town began and will last until December 2021.

We organized a consultation with residents in 16 residential groups in 5 wards: Sa Pa, O Quy Ho, Sa Pa, Ham Rong and Cau May. A total of 2,078 households were consulted, of which 1,867 households attended the consultation meeting, reaching 89.9%. The percentage of households present agreeing with the plan to name roads, streets and public works in Sa Pa town reached 100%.
Ms. Hoang Thi Vuong, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Sa Pa town said.

There needs to be a scientific and reasonable solution.

Regarding the issues raised in the article such as N1 Street has not been renamed in Resolution 31; duplicated street names (Thac Bac Street - Thac Bac Street, Dong Loi Street - Dong Loi Alley...) or many densely populated streets without house numbers; Ms. Hoang Thi Vuong, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Sa Pa town added: In the proposal to name and rename streets in Sa Pa town, we proposed to change the name of N1 Street to Thong Nhat Street. However, based on the Conclusion Notice No. 225 dated August 4, 2023 of the Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee on the conclusion of Comrade Giang Thi Dung, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Chairman of the Advisory Council on naming, renaming roads, streets and public works in Lao Cai province at the meeting of the Advisory Council on naming roads, streets in Bao Yen district, Sa Pa town and Lao Cai city, the Department of Culture and Sports has issued a document requesting the People's Committee of Sa Pa town to study, select and propose a more suitable naming plan for N1 road and Nguyen Tai Thu street (Provincial Road 155 - section from the intersection to Ban Xeo to the intersection to the Garbage dump). Therefore, on August 21, 2023, the People's Committee of Sa Pa town issued a document requesting not to name N1 road yet, because the selection of a suitable name and asking for people's opinions do not ensure the progress to submit at the Provincial People's Council meeting at the end of 2023.

Road N4 has been renamed Hoa Dao City, but Road N1 has not been renamed in Resolution 31.

For technical routes N2, N4, and branch 10, the names have been changed according to Resolution 31, including: Route N2 was renamed Do Quyen city; Route N4 was renamed Hoa Dao city; and branch 10 was renamed To Vinh Dien city. As for route N1, because a name suitable to the proposal of the Lao Cai Province Street and Road Naming Council has not been selected, the people's opinions will be collected and submitted to the Provincial People's Council in the near future.

According to the leader of the Department of Culture and Information of Sa Pa town, for roads and streets with the same name, according to Decree No. 91/2005/ND-CP on promulgating regulations on naming and renaming roads, streets and public works, there is no regulation on naming the same name. The town People's Committee will study and rename the roads and streets with the same name appropriately. However, this needs to be carefully considered, because it can cause inconvenience, waste time and cost for people when having to change the name of signs, business licenses, etc. For roads and streets that have been named but have not yet been numbered, the town People's Committee has directed the People's Committees of the wards to review and number the houses in accordance with regulations and will do so as soon as possible.

Efforts to build a beautiful image of Sa Pa in all aspects. Photo: Huy Truong

In the coming time, Sa Pa town will direct local agencies and units to continue reviewing unnamed roads, streets, and public works to propose to include them in the list of names of roads, streets, and public works in Lao Cai province to submit to the Provincial People's Council. For roads and streets that have been named or renamed, the town People's Committee is directing relevant agencies and units to continue to put up name signs, number houses, and propagate to people to know and change them to match the given names...

We believe that with the attention and close and timely coordination of relevant agencies, the existing problems related to naming and renaming of streets in Sa Pa town will soon be thoroughly resolved, creating convenience for the people as well as building a beautiful image of Sa Pa.

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