New bus stop brings relief, but residents want safer road

For years, schoolchildren and commuters stood just metres from speeding traffic on Denarau Road waiting for buses. Today, they have shelter—but residents say the road is still far from safe.

Communities along Denarau Road have welcomed the construction of a long-awaited bus stop near the Yakuilau community, saying it has made waiting for public transport safer while providing protection from the sun and rain.

However, they are now calling on authorities to install speed humps, zebra crossings and another bus shelter to further improve safety along one of Nadi's busiest roads.

Resident Vatiliai Dawai said the project was particularly important for schoolchildren because of the number of accidents recorded along the route.

"It is a good initiative to build the bus stop along this route, especially for the children, because there have been a lot of accidents here," Mr Dawai said.

"We, as a community, have been approaching the relevant authorities about this issue, and we are glad the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) has come in and done this for the community. We are really happy about this."

"During wet weather, people will have shelter where they can wait for transport without getting wet."

Mr Dawai said the next priority should be a speed hump or zebra crossing because of the heavy traffic using the road.

Resident Varanisese Narogo said the bus stop had ended years of people waiting dangerously on the roadside.

"It used to be very difficult for people in this area to stand on the roadside and wait for transport. There are no speed humps or anything like that, so it is a risk," Ms Narogo said.

"Children would stand on the roadside waiting for buses, but with the new bus stop it is safer for everyone. For a long time, residents had raised the issue at village meetings to seek Government assistance, and now we have a safe place to wait for transport."

Former Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Dr Ram Raju, who lives along Denarau Road, has for decades called for improved road safety along the corridor.

Maqalevu resident Vani Babuja said the designated bus stop would also improve traffic flow by providing buses with a safer place to pull over instead of stopping along the roadside.

Residents are now urging authorities to build on the improvement by introducing additional pedestrian safety measures to make the busy corridor safer for everyone.