Peceli Naviticoko 
Labasa businesses and ratepayers are concerned about the safety of the public on the footpaths in the main street during this busy period.
Businessman Satish Kumar says the uneven walkway surfaces pose a significant risk to the public when entering shops.
He is urging immediate action on the upgrades, as this has been an ongoing infrastructure challenge in Labasa.
“You move around from this end to that end; you’ll see it’s not even. And I think when everybody’s saying the safety for the public, safety for everyone, so this is the best thing. The first thing they should do is improve our footpaths.”
Kumar highlighted a recent incident where a mother allegedly broke her ankle after tripping on the footpath, stressing that this could happen to anyone.
Labasa Special Administrator Samuela Ligairi says plans are in place to work with the FRA on upgrading the footpaths to improve accessibility.
“With the footpath problem last week, we just had a meeting with all the stakeholders. That includes the FRA, the Water Authority, and all, and we made plans to rectify the problems, and even though it’s within the FRA, we’ll be working together with them in terms of funding. We will be able to assist to make the footpath service better for our people.”
Questions have also been sent to the FRA regarding the issue, and a response is awaited.
