The Land Transport Authority has kicked off a new Learner Driver Training Program for Year 12 and Year 13 students, with Suva Muslim College the first school to sign up to host the initiative during the upcoming two-week holidays.
LTA Chief Executive Iremaia Rokosawa said the program is targeted at high school students to mitigate road risks and reduce loss of life on the roads, while continuing to raise road-safety awareness among younger generations. He emphasized that, although there has been progress, the journey is not over: over the past three years, road fatalities have fallen by about 16 percent, but 66 lives have still been lost.
Rokosawa also stressed that the LTA does not want to be seen as merely conventional in its road-safety advocacy. The authority plans to roll out a variety of programs to broaden its reach beyond just certain groups and to engage a wider portion of the community.
Context and related efforts
– Earlier this year, the LTA announced two school-focused programs, including a Novice Driver Training Program aimed at Year 12 and Year 13 students, designed to equip young drivers with essential skills and knowledge before they hit the roads.
– In addition to training initiatives, the LTA has supported broader youth road-safety engagement through programs like the National Schools Road Safety Competition and the School Road Safety Club, which aim to foster creativity, leadership, and practical solutions to road-safety challenges among students.
– Past and ongoing efforts have included distributing safety tools to high-risk schools, conducting targeted training for students and staff, and reinforcing the message that road safety is a shared responsibility for all road users.
What this means for families and communities
– The program represents continued investment in youth education as a foundation for safer roads.
– If successful, these school-based efforts could contribute to further reductions in fatalities and instill lifelong safe-driving habits in the next generation of road users.
Outlook
– The LTA’s emphasis on multiple, youth-focused initiatives signals a sustained push to integrate road safety into everyday school life and community culture, with the aim of creating a safer driving environment for everyone.
Summary
The LTA’s new Learner Driver Training Program for senior high students, starting at Suva Muslim College, builds on a suite of youth-focused road-safety initiatives. By combining classroom learning with practical training and broader community outreach, the authority aims to expand its impact beyond a single school and continue driving down road fatalities while fostering a safety-first mindset among Fiji’s next generation of drivers.
Positive note
Early signs from related programs show momentum in educating young people and engaging communities, offering hope for safer roads ahead as these initiatives scale up.
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