Road courtesy, safety

Iliesa Baravilala, Lautoka

A fatal accident happened in front of the Police Post at Natabua in Lautoka.

It was unfortunate that the child crossed behind the bus and was hit by a vehicle.

I am an elder and part of the Natabua community Police and neighbourhood watch programme and had in the past asked for speed retarders to be erected in our area.

I usually travel in a vehicle where the driver slows down when approaching bus­es parked at the Bus Stop bay.

The driver has saved a few lives because he was cautious. Pedestrians sometimes are reckless.

We have had a number of small vehicle accidents and many near misses where drivers speed in the morning to try and avoid the traffic jam at the main road junc­tion.

The Natabua housing has a population of around 2000 via the last census count, and it’s still increasing.

We have the Fiji National University campus here and that is not counting the workers and students.

We have people who come here to work and then leave in the afternoon. We are a densely populated area.

I once again plead with the authorities to put in place speed retarders. This will, and I say again, will save lives.

I wish someone will hear this plea.

‘The Bus’ and ‘Semi-trailer’

Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa, Suva

Wow! The expectation for this weekend’s HSBC World Sevens Series London leg has gone up another notch with news that Semi Radradra and Josua Tuisova have joined the Fiji Airways Fijian 7s team in London.

We are all looking forward to seeing Leo­ne Nakarawa and Semi Kunatani joining the team in London or Paris as well.

We read that the South African speed merchant, Seabelo Senatla, is also joining their SA 7s team in their dream to win the remaining tournaments and the 2017/18 HSBC World Sevens Series.

With our boys leading the series by four points ahead of South Africa, I am hoping that they opt to be in second place in Pool A so that they meet South Africa in the Cup quarterfinal.

With the “Semi-trailer” and “The Bus” in the Fijian 7s team, we can all say “Bring on Senatla!”

Go Fiji, go.

Rugby development

Tomasi Boginiso, Nasinu

It is great news to hear that Vunimono High School and Nakasi High School have entered the secondary school Deans Rug­by competition.

Even though they lost their first games at least they have shown interest and com­mitment.

Thank you to the two principals for allow­ing rugby into the schools. Many young boys from my village and area attended these schools but it was unfortunate for them missing out on the opportunity dur­ing their prime days.

As the Vunimono school manager men­tioned forming the team was to address discipline issues like punctuality and at­tendance.

Most of these students’ interest is in sports and as they try and improve their academic performance the school intro­duce rugby, but with one condition – that they are always on time for school and up to date with their studies.

And as the Nakasi school manager men­tioned they want their players to be ex­posed and get them to learn as much as they can.

Most of the iTaukei students have an interest in playing rugby so by forming a team they were giving them a chance to expose their talents.

The manager said most of the players come late to school, so they were trying to help in their discipline by introducing rugby.

There are many rugby talents around and these are some of the schools that we did not look at.

What about other Indo-Fijian schools in the rural areas? I believe our Indo-Fijian brothers have something to contribute to rugby.

Both school managers talk about the lack of discipline in children today. There are schools tied up with religious denomina­tions and cannot play sports on a Satur­day, for example, the Seventh-days Advent­ist schools.

I believe we could work on programmes that do not fall on the Sabbath. This was done in New Zealand where All Black leg­end, Sir Michael Jones, who was a great believer in keeping his Sunday holy, the New Zealand Rugby Union accommodated this in the best possible way.

We need to look into these matters and maybe we can find more rugby talents that we have been missing out on a long time. But for Vunimono High School and Naka­si High School, congratulations for com­ing into the Deans Rugby competition.

PS: Vunimono had to borrow jerseys from Lelean Memorial School for the first game.

World No Tobacco Day

Neelz Singh, Lami

You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that smoking kills.

Each year, the global tobacco epidemic kills an estimated six million people worldwide, including 600,000 who die from second-hand smoke exposure.

World No Tobacco Day, sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and ob­served on May 31 each year, highlights the health risks associated with tobacco use and encourages effective actions to reduce tobacco consumption.

If current trends continue, it is estimat­ed that by 2030 tobacco use will result in approximately eight million deaths world­wide annually; an estimated 80 per cent of these preventable deaths will occur in low- and middle-income countries

The community at large can demonstrate ways that individuals can contribute to bringing about a sustainable, tobacco-free world, either by committing to never start using tobacco products or by quitting such use.

Don’t smoke yourself away because life has no reset button; choose the best that benefits the health.

Ex-NFP candidate on cane

Sheenal Kumar, Tamavua

Good on you Mohammed Rafiq for your letter on cane price and the National Fed­eration Party’s promise to pay $100 per tonne.

It is even better knowing that you are a former NFP candidate and you don’t be­lieve in what the Party is now promising.

Feedback: jyotip@fijisun.com.fj