Work on Tawake Road from Lagi Duavata to Tawake Road did not cease following change of Govt - FRA

The Fiji Roads Authority says maintenance work on Tawake Road from Lagi Duavata to Tawake Road did not cease following the change in government as claimed by the village headman of Tawake Village.

FRA says the last maintenance work was in May 2025 as part of their routine maintenance program.   They say Tawake Road is not a bus route; however, it is accessed by RSLs for school transportation.

They say FRA has included Tawake Road, along with Nukusere-Lagi, Qaranivai, and Lagi-Duavata roads, in its routine maintenance program—and will continue to do so as part of its ongoing commitment to maintaining road networks.   Meanwhile, Tawake Village Headman Mitieli Rokoqialevu says the previous government had started fixing their roads, and all upgrade works stopped when the government changed after the 2022 general elections.

He says the work has not continued since then, and children from nearby villages and communities are walking long distances to receive education. Rokoqialevu says the condition of the roads has also resulted in them paying higher costs to receive essential services such as health.

He adds that the five villages in the district of Tawake pay around $370 to reach Labasa Town, but if their roads are fixed, bus services will reach their villages and it will cost them less.

The Village Headman says they pay about $50 one way from Tawake Village to Wainigadru and another $150 from Wainigadru to Labasa Town.

He adds they will have to pay the same amount when they travel back.

He says it is difficult for the villagers in the upper coastal region as their only mode of transportation is by boat, and they have to pay more to reach essential services.

Rokoqialevu says if one needs life-saving urgent medical treatment, they cannot receive it because of the condition of the roads.

He is pleading on behalf of the villages that use the road to the government to hear their plea because accessing essential services such as schools and health is vital for everyone’s development.