The Government yesterday announced stiffer penalties and stepped-up enforcement for motorists who illegally stop or park in bicycle lanes, following questions in Parliament about frequent obstructions along Queen Elizabeth Drive. Opposition MP Virendra Lal had asked transport authorities to explain what was being done to keep the cycle lanes clear and protect cyclists on the busy corridor.
Transport Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau told Parliament the fine for stopping or parking in a bicycle lane has been raised to $100 and that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Fiji Police Force have strengthened compliance activities. “The Ministry of Transport through LTA advises that strict compliance enforcement is actively maintained through a structured plan of regulatory controls, operational enforcement and collaboration with the Fiji Police Force,” he said, confirming the increase in penalties and enforcement measures.
Tuisawau said offenders will be issued traffic infringement notices under the revised regime and warned that obstruction of bicycle lanes may attract immediate towing. Vehicle owners will be required to meet all associated towing and impoundment costs, he said. Repeat or particularly serious breaches, the minister added, could result in licence suspension or prosecution in the courts.
As part of the intensified approach, Tuisawau said joint enforcement operations are already underway and that there is daily monitoring of Queen Elizabeth Drive. The minister framed the measures as part of a broader drive to improve road safety and ensure designated cycle infrastructure is used as intended, signalling tighter on-street controls in key urban corridors.
The Government also confirmed it is assessing the use of heavy goods vehicles on Queen Elizabeth Drive. Tuisawau indicated that authorities are considering designated corridors and time-based restrictions that would limit heavy-vehicle access to certain roads at specified times, in an effort to reduce conflicts between large vehicles, cyclists and other road users.
The announcement is the latest development in an intensified national focus on road safety following a series of high-profile crashes and an overall rise in road fatalities this year. Police and the LTA have previously signalled coordinated nationwide operations targeting speeding, drink-driving and reckless behaviour; the new bicycle-lane penalties and daily enforcement along Queen Elizabeth Drive extend that crackdown to protecting active-transport users and managing traffic flows in congested corridors.