As students in Taveuni struggled to get to school following the disruption to bus services, two residents stepped in to ensure children, especially those sitting exams, did not miss out on their education.
Suncity Supermarket owner Rohil Chaudhary paid for a bus to transport students to and from school yesterday afternoon and again this morning after learning that many children had been left without transport.
Speaking to fijivillage News, Chaudhary says students should not suffer because of a situation they did not create.
He says children are Fiji's future, and it was important to ensure they reached school safely, especially during exam week.
According to Chaudhary, his decision was not about publicity or politics but simply about helping his community in a time of need.
He arranged for Taveuni Buses Limited to transport as many students as possible along the Qeleni to Wairiki route at no cost to the students.
Chaudhary says while the Government had announced contingency plans, he believed the community also had a responsibility to help until normal bus services resumed.
Meanwhile, another South Taveuni resident, Abhishek Sapra, also stepped in by using his own vehicle to transport students to school.
He says the owner of South Taveuni Stores, located near their community, also offered to transport students from Ura to school during the disruption.
Sapra says around 14 students travelled with him, while other community members also helped, allowing the limited minibus services to focus on students travelling from more isolated areas such as Navakuwau, Nakorovou and Kanacea villages.
He says helping students get to school is something many families in the area have always done whenever children are stranded or miss the bus.
He is calling on authorities to act more quickly when essential services are disrupted so that children and other members of the public are not affected.
Earlier this week, several bus operators in Taveuni suspended school bus services over fare-related concerns, leaving many students without transport before temporary arrangements were put in place.
