Fuel shortage threatens public transport in Taveuni

Bus services in Taveuni could be suspended within days if shipping services to the island are not restored, as fuel supplies continue to dwindle.

Taveuni Buses operations manager Sami Prakash said the island was facing a fuel shortage, with its three service stations either running low or completely out of fuel.

Mr Prakash said the continued suspension of shipping services had disrupted fuel and essential goods deliveries. He said the disruption stemmed from an unresolved issue between Goundar Shipping Limited and the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) over operational and labour compliance requirements.

"Public transport such as taxis, minibuses and other services are unable to properly serve the public at this time," he said.

Mr Prakash said current fuel reserves would last only another five to seven days.

"If the ship does not arrive within the next five to seven days, we will gradually have to suspend our bus operations," he said.

He estimated that between 10,000 and 40,000 people could be affected if the situation worsened.

Mr Prakash also raised concerns about dwindling supermarket supplies because deliveries from Viti Levu had been delayed.

"There is a lot of shortage in stores because goods are not being supplied from the main island," he said.

He urged authorities to resolve the shipping issue urgently, warning that school transport and other essential services would also be affected if disruptions continued.