Suva’s night market of the late 1970s had the Suva City Council wrangling with the problem of accommodating the growing need for the capital city’s night market van vendors.
In those days, late-night vendors at Suva market were engaged in a flourishing trade selling hot, home-made snacks to late shoppers, dockworkers, seamen, cinema patrons and dance-goers.
But according to a story in The Fiji Times dated April 13, 1979, they faced two main hazards – the fact that what they were doing was not strictly legal and the loafers and drunks who frequented the area.
In this regard, the SCC had to consider a report by the then town clerk, Mosese Vunivutu, on the city’s embryo “nigh market”.
Although city by-laws prohibited selling after hours (7am to 6pm or 7am to 8pm on Friday), the chief administrator, Bill Cruickshank, had noted that the vendors met a public demand.
A The Fiji Times team visited the market one Friday night and found there was indeed a throng of customers buying fish and dalo, curry and other meals at about 50 cents to $1. Some said vendors charged too much, but others said they were getting freshcooked food from the parked vans at about half the price they would pay in a café.
The vendors operating from benzine-lit minishops were six van vendors, a grog seller, three fruit and drink sellers and a tobacco seller.
Deo Raj, 36, of Nausori said he had been in the business for the past 20 years. Mr Raj, who had six children, his wife and mother to support, said there was a big demand for after hours selling in Suva, particularly when people returned from dances and nightclubs.
“They get hungry quickly after too much bodyshaking in the nightclubs,” he said.
In the past he used to be pestered and bullied by drunks. He said this was his only source of income.
He earned $30 to $40 a night and spent much of this on food and other expenses for the business.
Mr Ashok Kumat, 20, of Visama, Nausori started at 6pm, selling fish and cassava at 80c a parcel, curry chicken at $1 and curry mutton at 70c, fish and chips 20c and boiled and fried eggs at 15c and 20c.
He said there was a big demand from the public and also a big rush between 12pm and 1am on Fridays.
Mr Kumar, who had only a brother to support, collected $30 to $50 a night and paid $4 to his neighbour for cooking.
Mr Roger behari Prasad travelled 16 miles everyday for 13 years from Bau Rd, Nausori to sell fruits, coconuts, chillies and tobacco. He had his wife and two children to support.
He told The Fiji Times his business was the only source of income to the family.
The owner of a mini-supermarket, one of the small shops by the taxi stand, Krishna Lal, of Nausori, talking from his benzinelit cage said he stayed open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
