People are really tired and are hoping Govt will do something about traffic congestion – Ro Teimumu

SODLEPA MP Ro Teimumu says the Minister for Infrastructure Jone Usamate should do something to shorten the travelling time between places like Suva and Nausori and not just come to parliament and give long speeches while Usamate says the Fiji Roads Authority is working on an appropriate infrastructure to run an integrated traffic system for the Suva and Nausori corridor.

While speaking on the motion that parliament debates the Review of the Performance Audit Report on the Management of Traffic Congestion, Ro Teimumu says people are really tired and are praying and hoping Government will do something about traffic congestion.

She says it will be interesting to find out through a survey as to how much time it now takes to get from Nakasi to Suva as the survey conducted by the Department of Transport in 2017 revealed it took approximately two hours for people to come from Nakasi to Suva.

Ro Teimumu says the Department of Transport, Traffic Unit of Fiji Police Force, FRA, LTA, Department of Town and Country Planning, Ministry of Waterways and Environment, Ministry of Economy, Fiji Ports Authority, Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji and Vodafone Fiji are legislated with the responsibility to be working together to ensure there is a good flow of traffic during peak hours.

Ro Teimumu says traffic congestion was a good way to start a conversation at any gathering before the COVID-19 situation as everyone had something to say about it.

She says people were questioning in these conversations why Government cannot get traffic problems under control, what is wrong with LTA as people are paying so much money to operate their vehicles or why can’t FRA do something about the potholes as they are given so much money.

Usamate says the FRA is already working on the recommendation to install sensor traffic lights which will change according to the number of vehicles on the roads.

He says in addition to this, all the existing traffic lights will be upgraded and they are hoping to get this done by early next year.

The Minister for Infrastructure says following this, the LTA and Police will be given the go ahead to connect their system to the integrated traffic system which will address some of issues relating to traffic congestion.