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Concerns raised about overloaded school buses

Concerns raised about overloaded school buses

The Fiji Bus Operators Association says individual bus companies will have to consider whether it is feasible to provide extra school buses to areas that they are servicing.

This is following increasing concerns by parents of various schools in the Central Division about overloaded school buses arriving late to schools in the mornings.

Association President Parmod Chand says providing extra services in areas where school buses are constantly overloaded would not be feasible as students are not consistently catching the school bus throughout the week.  

Chand says around 140 students from the same school would have to be living in the same area to allow a bus company to provide an extra school bus.

He also says the option of school buses changing their pickup time would be difficult as this would mean bus companies would have to reschedule their timetables.

The Land Transport Authority says they continue to work with police and bus operators in putting a stop to overloading.

According to the LTA only 12 passengers are allowed to stand in a bus during a trip.

Last year, 184 companies as well as drivers were booked for overloading of vehicles with fines amounting to $1.06 million.

The LTA says around 20 percent of these fines were on buses carrying excess passengers.

Companies are being fined $1,000 for every tonne over the legal limit.

The Education Ministry says parents should raise these issues with schools so that bus companies can be contacted.

It says students should be in school by 8am when classes start.

You can contact the LTA on their texting platform 582 if you witness overloaded vehicles. 

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