Saliva Testing Equipment to be introduced for random roadside drug tests – LTA CEO

Saliva testing equipment will soon be introduced by the Land Transport Authority for random roadside drug tests, in an effort to improve road safety for all commuters and pedestrians.

LTA Chief Executive Officer, Irimaia Rokosawa revealed the plans during an interview with fijivillage News, saying the initiative is aimed at reducing road fatalities, which have recently shown fluctuating trends.

Rokosawa says the LTA is currently working closely with the Fiji Police Force to ensure the proper legal framework and regulations are in place before implementing the testing.

He says this approach is more customer and human-centric and can be implemented effectively.

The CEO says that similar saliva-based drug testing measures are already in use in countries such as Australia and New Zealand and LTA is reviewing the legislation and operational models used in those countries to guide Fiji’s rollout.

Rokosawa highlighted that joint enforcement operations have already shown positive results, with a reported 18 percent reduction in road fatalities and in early February this year, Fiji even recorded a period with zero reported fatalities.