Steps taken to address poor roads in the North: Tuisawau

Minister for Public Works Ro Filipe Tuisawau says he is aware of road issues in the North and has taken steps to address them.

Speaking after Parliament in Suva yesterday, Mr Tuisawau said he had discussions with the Northern Divisional Roads Engineer and the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) regional manager North.

“They are working hard to ensure that areas that have been left behind or not upgraded, especially in terms of basic access for people, are being addressed,” Mr Tuisawau said.

“FRA is also reassessing its contracts as there have been ongoing issues regarding maintenance, so I can assure that performance issues are also being reviewed.”

He said FRA had also been advised to review crossing designs and construction materials to better withstand heavy rainfall and large volumes of water.

Vishnu Holdings Limited posted on its social media page that its Labasa–Savusavu and Savusavu–Labasa services via Wainigadru will cease operations from next Monday, May 4, citing rising fuel prices, unsustainable income and poor e-ticketing compliance.

The company said services would resume once fuel prices are reduced.

When contacted, the company declined to comment further, saying poor road conditions were already a contributing factor.