The Hanoi People's Committee has instructed the municipal transport department to better manage the city's underpasses.
The department must focus on measures to ensure order and safety as well as sanitation in underpasses and report the results by the end of the month.
It is also required to upgrade lighting and traffic signals at degraded underpasses.
People's Committee deputy chairman Phi Thai Binh said a lack of management had caused many underpasses to become degraded.
Urban traffic office director Nguyen Nguyen Huy conceded that tea shops and vendors occupied some underpasses and caused disorder.
But guards were assigned around-the-clock to control them now.
"The guards help protect pedestrians from criminal gangs as well as prevent damage," he said.
"Guards are also responsible for stopping street vendors from occupying underpasses and warn them of punishment if they persist."
The department manages the Kim Lien and Nga Tu So underpasses and four others under Pham Hung road in the Cau Giay district.
Although the building of many underpasses was complete, they remain disused. For example, part of the Khuat Duy Tien street underpass in Thanh Xuan district was used to park motorbikes although it was complete.
The urban traffic office director said there were many reasons underpasses had not been put into use: Infrastructure was not complete or procedures remained outstanding.
"We have required the Thang Long project management board which is the investor to quickly complete the procedure so we can assume management of Ringroad No 3 underpass system," he said.
Each underpass costs an average of between VND3-7 billion (US$153,000-357,000).
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