Serious and worrying concerns have been raised regarding the unsafe drivers that risk people’s lives, due to sub-standard training practices, incompetent driving instructors and alarming passing rates for driving exams shows the urgent need to make changes to the system.
These issues have been raised by FijiFirst MP, Naisa Tuinaceva in a statement, where he highlighted the operation of illegal driving schools that again raises questions about the safety and competence of drivers.
Tuinaceva says reports indicate a disturbing trend of individuals seeking to obtain driving licenses illicitly and this collusion undermines the integrity of the licensing process and compromises road safety standards.
He says they have witnessed uncertified instructors and sub-standard training putting citizens' lives in danger due to the compromised driving education and examination system.
The FijiFirst MP says driving instructors need to strictly adhere to the driving code of practice to ensure that students receive comprehensive instruction.
He further says the Land Transport Authority must tighten its internal controls and conduct thorough audits on the issuance of driver's licenses to root out any instances of misconduct or corruption.
Tuinaceva says there is a a pressing need for specialised driving examiners, rather than those with a broad range of skills introducing two driving examiners for testing, particularly for theory and practical examinations, would enhance scrutiny and accuracy in assessing driver competency.
He says LTA must introduce defensive driving courses for Class 2 driver license holders to reduce the risk of accidents and improve overall road safety as this is the time for action and we can not afford to overlook these issues.
We sent questions to LTA regarding the matter on Wednesday.
They are yet to respond.
