Fijians should expect more cars on our roads with more Vehicle Carriers expected at major ports before year ends.

MV Carrera, currently sailing under the flag of United Kingdom berthed at Suva Kings Wharf on Monday night and left again yesterday after offloading close to 100 vehicles.

According to international Marine Traffic, the vessel sailed from Auckland, New Zealand and departed for Shanghai China at 12.10pm yesterday.

Campbell Shipping Limited is the local agent for MV Carrera.

Yesterday CSL refused to release information about the vessel.

“We can confirm that we are the agents of the vehicle carrier here in Fiji but we will not be able to comment or release any information as of yet on the vessel,” an officer said.

Meanwhile Fiji Roads Authority chief executive officer Jonathan Moore said while they cannot restrict members of the public from purchasing vehicles, they are trying their best to accommodate the increasing number of vehicles.

This, he says continues to be a challenge.

“The thing is we cannot restrict people’s rights from buying vehicles whether they’re second-hand or brand new ones; we just have to accommodate or manage and provide the spaces for these vehicles to travel,” Mr Moore said.

“It is the individual’s choice to buy a car or not and we are making sure that we increase accessibility and lane space and we are also discussing with municipalities to increase their car parking spaces,” he said.

“Our main aim is to reduce traffic congestion.”

MV Carrera features a gross tonnage of 46800, deadweight of 12, 296 tonnes and length by breadth extreme of 182.8 meters by 31.53m year built 2008.

The vessel is likely to carry more than 300 to 400 vehicles.

MV Carrera had departed Shanghai on July 27, arrived at Japan ports of Nagaya and Yokohama on August 2 and August 3 respectively.

She was at Brisbane (Australia) on August 15 and then berthed at Auckland on August 20 before arriving in Suva on August 26.

She is expected back at Shanghai on September 9.

MV Carrera is the first next-generation FLEXIE series car carrier cutting-edge, the newly designed car carrier equipped with six lift able decks.

The new vessel marks a major advance in functionality, with six liftable decks, compared with two on conventional car carriers.

This allows the vessel to effectively to meet demand for more diversified vehicle and high and heavy cargo transport.

Its rounded bow shape minimizes wind resistance; this is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emission by about 2 per cent compared to other car carriers.