Increased In Poth Holes In Lautoka

The Lautoka Residents and Ratepayers Association has seen a rise in complaints about potholes on roads in residential areas, posing safety risks and damaging vehicles.

To aggravate the situation, the association president Narayan Reddy, said they had not been part of stakeholder meetings to discuss ways to address the issue.

“One complainant said he hit a pothole and one of his front tyres burst so that’s something that needs to be taken seriously because it can cause accidents,” he said.

“Secondly, what we have seen is that potholes seem to be getting bigger and are not patched properly “Take a drive around the roads in Lautoka and you will see potholes along Tavakubu Road, Sukanaivalu Road, Hollander Road just in front of the golf course then along Vomo Street.”

The plea from the association is for effective road maintenance works.

“Hopefully, the relevant authorities start filling these potholes quickly and properly “rather than using soil or gravel as a band-aid solution,” he said.

“This is something that happens mostly during the rainy weather so Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) must get its act together.”

Questions sent to the FRA and police for comments were yet to be received when this edition went to press.

Numerous phone calls made to the Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport, Ro Filipe Tuisawau remained unanswered.

In an article published by this newspaper on January 6, the minister confirmed findings from a special audit conducted by the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) that revealed alleged financial mismanagement and contractual irregularities within the FRA from July 2020 to July 2023.

He said the FRA board, in partnership with the line ministry and the Ministry of Finance, secured a $50 million overdraft facility to settle contractors’ arrears exceeding $40 million, allowing for contractors to continue road maintenance works.

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