FRA says it is true speed humps can cost around $20k

The Fiji Roads Authority says it is true that speed humps can cost around $20,000 each particularly if they are combined with pedestrian crossings but despite being asked by Legend FM News it has not said if any road humps constructed around the country cost $21,000 to build.

This is after a FRA representative reportedly told a Talanoa Session in Sawakasa Village in Tailevu last week that it costs $21,000 to build a road hump.

When asked why a road hump costs $21,000 to construct, the FRA says the price for a speed hump depends on the type and the location.

It says several factors govern the cost and this includes the type of road (sealed or unsealed), width of the road, whether or not the hump is a simple speed hump or a crossing ‘table’ and the condition of the road at the location of the hump.

A crossing table is a flat top hump also used as a pedestrian crossing.

It says needs to be considered that the majority of traffic humps are constructed under the Divisional Maintenance Contract.

FRA says this a tendered contract that has many hundreds of individual rates for the work to be undertaken.

It says these are contractors rates and the contractor determines how it distributes the costs.

FRA says this means that some rates in the tender are higher, some are low and some are market-rate and ultimately the best value tender wins the contract.

It further says once the contract is awarded they are contractually required to adhere to the rates provided by the contractor.

The Fiji Roads Authority also says that it wishes to clarify that the villagers had requested a speed hump at the Talanoa Session in Sawakasa, but they were referring to traffic speed reduction which is achieved through installing a speed bump.

It says speed humps are long and flat humps on the road designed to warn drivers of pedestrian areas or to alert drivers to a future hazard and they do not reduce speed as they can be driven over at 30-40 kph with no real discomfort to the occupants of the car.

FRA says in comparison, speed bumps are short and high to force a vehicle to slow down and reduce onward speed, which was requested at Lodoni Road.

The Authority also says whilst it is true that speed humps can cost around $20,000 each particularly if they are combined with pedestrian crossings while speed bumps cost considerably less – again, depending on several road factors.