Clubs urged to reassess safety rules after incident

Nightclub operators and relevant authorities must reassess current rules and regulations to ensure the safety of patrons, says Roneel Sami.

The president of Nadi's nightclub operators and owner of Ice-Bar Nadi made his comments after an incident in­volving three Australian airline crew members, which al­legedly occurred at a Martintar nightclub in Nadi.

The crew members were reportedly victims of an alleged theft and sexual assault.

In response to the incident, Mr Sami stressed the impor­tance of re-evaluating nightclub operations, with the col­laboration with Government and other stakeholders.

He expressed concerns about the broader impact on tour­ism.

"The incident has unfortunately painted a negative im­age for tourism in Fiji," said Mr Sami.

"But this is just one incident. There are many other simi­lar occurrences that happen outside of the nightclubs. The issue is that when nightclubs close at 1 am; it forces every­one, including tourists, to leave and wait outside. People are left standing in the streets, waiting for taxis.

"If nightclubs operated as they did before close at 5am, people would have more control over when they leave. It would also be easier to get a taxi, since there would be few­er people outside."

Speaking about the airline crew, Mr Sami suggesting that the timing of their departure, along with the crowd out­side the nightclub, may have made them more vulnerable.

"Nightclubs are meant to contain people's enjoyment," he said.

"They offer a controlled environment for people to social­ise, instead of partying in their homes or other places and disturbing the neighborhood. Unfortunately, it has become common for intoxicated individuals to wander the streets or ride public transport, disturbing those around them," he said.

He pointed out that there are currently 14 nightclubs in Martintar, and raised concerns about inadequate parking facilities.

"Many nightclubs, especially those starting from Bar One and others along that stretch, do not have parking spaces. As a result, patrons are forced to walk along dark streets searching for taxis, which are not always available at that time of night. Taxis have operational time limits, and this is a key issue," said Mr Sami.

"This is believed to be the scenario in the incident that occurred, where the victims were targeted while search­ing for a taxi."

Mr Sami also claimed a lack of Police presence around the nightclubs after hours.

"I believe this incident happened due to a combination of factors; the absence of parking facilities and insufficient Police patrols," he said.

"The Nadi Town Council should re-evaluate the registra­tion of nightclubs that do not meet these basic safety re­quirements."

In response, Saliceni Raiwalui, Chair of the Nadi Town Council's Special Administrator, acknowledged the situa­tion and expressed sympathy for the victims.

"It is unfortunate what happened to the Virgin Blue air­line crew. The council stands firm on the side of the law and is committed to ensuring safety," Mr Raiwalui said.

"This incident has been a wake-up call for all of us to re­assess our measures for the safety of tourists and locals alike."

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