The Minister for Transport, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, is concerned with the recent spike in road fatalities.

The Land Transport Authority revealed that the current road fatality toll increased to 44 from 14 for the same period last year.

Ro Filipe is urging all road users, especially drivers and pedestrians, to be alert and vigilant since they share equal responsibilities when it comes to road safety.

The Chairman of the Land Transport Authority Board, Inosi Kuridrani, states that the upsurge in road fatalities for 2023 is rather alarming and urges all road users to comply with the road safety rules to ensure the safety of all road users.

The Authority is working with key stakeholders, including the Fiji Police, to combat the recent fatality spike on our roads by having combined operations with the Fiji Police Force, strict monitoring, tightening up on driving schools, including the issuance of Driving Instructor Permits (DIP), and conducting rigorous awareness programs that target drivers, communities, and schools.

The Authority has already conducted school visitations to 77 schools around the country, impacting around 20,619 people; 81 community awareness and outreach programs, impacting 24,869 people; and 514 outreach programs for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, impacting 75,777 people from January 2023 to May 2023.