Mother raises safety concerns over faulty traffic lights in Nadi

A concerned mother is calling on authorities to urgently fix a faulty traffic light near Mount Saint Mary School in Nadi, saying it has not been working since a fatal accident in the area last month.

She says the issue remains unresolved despite the area being a busy road with heavy traffic, especially during peak hours.

She says many road users travel along the route daily, while students also cross the road to get to school, making the situation increasingly dangerous.

The concerned parent, who is a working mother, says she regularly drops off and picks up her child from school, adding that it is dangerous to drive and navigate through the area.

She is worried another accident could occur while the traffic lights remain out of service.

She also highlighted that police officers were seen assisting traffic for only two to three days after the incident and are no longer present.

She is urging relevant authorities to address the issue as soon as possible.

A woman lost her life in an accident in the area on March 28th.

It is alleged that a taxi driven by a man in his 30s collided with another vehicle, causing it to veer off the road and hit the victim, who was standing by the roadside.

Police say the woman died at the scene, and investigations are continuing.

Meanwhile, the Fiji Roads Authority says it is aware of the situation and had attended the site to make it safe following the accident.

The FRA says repairs to the faulty traffic lights will take about one to two months, as major components need to be procured from overseas.

They say they also plan to relocate and construct the traffic signal controller plinth on a side road to prevent similar damage in the future.

They confirm there are plans to install safety barriers and will request the Land Transport Authority to install speed cameras in the area.

To ensure public safety in the meantime, temporary traffic management measures will be put in place, and police have been requested to assist and guide traffic during peak hours.