The Fiji TimesDrunks harassing distributors – Two kinds of individuals on Sunday

Issues concerning the concern of nightclub opening hours has come to the fore, but once more, with feminine distributors and handicraft sellers complaining about drunks harassing them within the early hours on weekends.

Suva Market Affiliation common secretary Krishan Kumar stated 90 per cent of distributors who promote cooked and baked items within the early morning had been girls.

He stated they confronted intimidation, bullying and witnessed brawls each weekend as nightclub goers staggered to the Suva bus stand to search for transportation residence.

Mr Kumar stated the affiliation had taken their issues to police and the Suva Metropolis Council.

“The police are serving to by always patrolling the market space and so they have taken a few of the rowdy individuals when they’re known as so that could be a nice assist. We shall be assembly the Suva Metropolis Council later this week to debate options to those points,” he stated.

Mr Kumar stated handicraft distributors additionally expressed issues that nightclub goers had been an eyesore for vacationers from cruise ships.

“Vacationers from cruise ships that come on Saturdays and Sundays see these individuals and it doesn’t paint image of Suva.

“Particularly when the vacationers stroll across the Capital Metropolis and alongside the seawall the place handicraft distributors arrange their tents, drunks are often sleeping alongside this space and a few proceed to drink on the seawall.”

He stated the problem wanted to be taken severely due to the affect on enterprise and tourism.

Suva market vendor Makereta Saukuru sells baked items outdoors the market each day and he or she stated other than enterprise affect, there have been additionally security issues.

“They arrive and purchase meals and run away with out paying, some vomit round right here inflicting a foul odor whereas others sleep close to our stalls inflicting disruptions to our gross sales.”

She stated girls that traded on the weekends had been nervous about their security, as drunkards had been unpredictable.

“Any points coping with drunken individuals we simply name the police and so they help us.”

Krishneel Chand, a taxidriver based mostly on the Suva marketplace for the previous 17 years stated the problem had endured for some years and the answer lay in decreasing nightclub opening hours. He stated drunks had been much less prevalent post-covid when nightclubs closed early.

Mr Chand stated lots of his colleagues had been usually verbally abused and absconding passengers was the norm.

“They arrive they fuss with us, after we conform to take them some swear at us alongside the best way and move racist remarks. Some vomit contained in the cab,” he stated.

“Some rent us and after we attain the vacation spot they inform us to attend for them to get the fare and so they by no means return.

Mr Chand stated they’ve had discussions with the taxi affiliation and police, including police patrols had been useful. However he stated the onus was on the individuals to drink responsibly and maintain themselves.

He stated it was ironic to see drunkards harass Fijians going to work and church within the morning.

“They strategy women and attempt to flirt with them, it’s a very unhappy sight.

“The humorous factor is we see two kinds of individuals right here on Sundays — the well-dressed going to church and the disorderly and rowdy sweaty ones inflicting issues.”

Questions despatched to the Suva Metropolis Council, Fiji Taxi Affiliation, and Fiji Bus Operators Affiliation on the issues raised by distributors stay unanswered.