Police say that the issue of women and children getting harassed by aggressive buai traders along the Hiritano highway communities are now being dealt with in a more proactive approach.
The highway will no longer allow frequent passage of buses and truck loads of buyers into the area to intercept local sellers who travel into the city to sell buai.
Central police commander Laimo Asi says in the past four years, since the setup of the Agevairua buai market, the community has been plagued by outsiders coming in and bring in a hosts of issues.
“Women and children have been living in fear to go about their daily routine as the outsiders have been abusive as well as intimidating them in their own villages,” Asi says.
He adds that while people are free to come and visit the area, the buai traders especially are the main culprits that go about intimidating locals.
Asi says the road checks will be in place for an indefinite period in order to at least the curb the issue of fights and crime.