I have been keenly following news about how works are in progress to declare Nadi a city by 2017.
One of the tasks undertaken to achieve this is to increase the town boundaries. While this looks rosy on paper and public speeches, I would like to ask the minister responsible for towns and cities has he in the past year walked down the streets of Nadi Town and looked around for basic public amenities?
If you stand in the main street of Nadi and the call of nature comes and you need to find a toilet, there is no way a tourist — let alone a citizen of Nadi — will know where to find a toilet.
If I am not wrong, there are only two public toilet facilities in Nadi and that too towards the bus stand side of the Nadi market and one available at the bus stand.
Am I correct to assume that the town councillors and the minister are OK for tourists and locals to rush from the middle of town, make their way to the market end should the need to use a toilet come in a rush? That too if you are on foot. If you are in a vehicle, I am sorry the town guardians are not responsible because by the time you will find a parking space, pay for and rush, it may be too late.
Oh and if you are an elderly, you definitely should not be in Nadi Town.
What about baby friendly toilets for parents with children?
The visitors to the town are left at the shop keeper’s mercy and what is perplexing to understand is it seems this is quite acceptable for the council.
Nadi is supposed to be the best town in Fiji because of its access to tourists but if you look around Nadi Town, it is not what one would expect.
There is no thought behind how and where to place rubbish bins, there are no conveniently located and properly marked convenience places maintained by the council. Isn’t this a responsibility of a town council or is it rocket science that the minister or the councillor did not see or know about or are they too busy collecting town council rates and deciding who cuts the grass.
I will not even start about Namaka and how many public conveniences the town council has allocated there.
