Significant investment has been made by Shore Buses Limited to introduce new buses and new equipment and machinery to offer enhanced services to passengers.

Where the company used to import fuel efficient buses valued at close to $235,000, it now makes buses in Fiji.

It only imports the chassis from China and builds the body in-house with local expertise.

The company has also invested another $250,000 for the procurement of a 30 tonnes hoist.

This has the capability to lift buses, has tyre changing and wheel balancing equipment/machines that were brought in from China.

The launch was done by the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Environment, Parveen Kumar.

Mr Kumar noted that through the investment in the hoist, the work that used to be undertaken by four people to service a bus will now be done by one.

This will be with the assistance of the electronic hydraulic hoist.

“The details of all buses, history of maintenance, registrations, servicing and even complaints will now be accessible on the computer,” Mr Kumar noted.

“This is one paradigm shift towards improving our public transport services, make them much more accessible and safer to all users.”

Priority seating

Shore Buses managing director, Jasper Singh, also revealed priority will be given to pregnant ladies, elderly citizens and individuals with special needs when they board the newly launched Shore buses.

The new buses see the reservation of eight seats in front which will be used by the mentioned individuals when they board the bus.

The seats have been marked yellow in colour which will make it easy for classification.

Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Rosy Akbar, also expressed her gratitude to the company for the initiative which will benefit the general public.

“In order to make public transportation friendly for elderly and disabled individuals along with pregnant mothers, we needed to partner with the bus operators,” Ms Akbar said.

“The Fiji Bus Operators came on board with us to launch our ‘show you care’ initiative where we are trying to allocate the first seats for the elderly and the disabled including pregnant mothers but Mr Singh has fulfilled my wish.

“The allocation of the first 8 seats in yellow for the disabled, elderly and pregnant ladies of the public is a great initiative.

“My Ministry and the public at large, plus families who have disabled members and those disabled members of the community who will be using the public transport service around the Suva-Lami corridor.

“I wish more operators will be joining us in this venture that will make public transportation more disabled friendly.”

Mr Singh assured the company will continue to provide services benefiting the general public the same way since the company’s inception in 1947.