Drunkards urinating in public, people fighting and nightclub goers passed out on the streets are usually the first things tourists arriving in the country through Nadi International Airport see while being transported to their hotels.
McDonalds Fiji managing director Marc McElrath highlighted this while sharing his views at a consultation for the review of the opening of nightclub hours at Suvavou House in Suva yesterday.
“There are 16 nightclubs in Nadi and that is a big number for a small town,” Mr McElrath said.
He said every day around 4am, drunkards were often scattered along the streets when nightclubs closed for business.
Mr McElrath said they had raised the issue with the police numerous times.
“Tourists arriving from the USA or wherever they come from at 6am, when they come through Martintar, it looks like they are driving through Beirut,” he said.
“There are people knocked out on the footpaths, drunkards fighting, people punching each other, and they urinate all over the place.
“It really doesn’t look good for our tourists.
“The issue we face in Nadi is the fact a lot of people come out of nightclubs at around 4am to 5am are drunk and it spills out on the streets.”
He said the police did not have the manpower to control the issue of early-morning drunkards in Nadi.
“The issue is we have 16 nightclubs with six police officers, the police are overwhelmed, there are drunk people and then fights.”
Mr McElrath called on the authorities to consider the safety of people while reviewing the opening hours for nightclubs.
“I understand there are special zones, and I am not an expert on these hours.
“I think the hours need to be reduced in certain areas where police can’t control the overwhelming numbers.”
