Rural and Maritime Development Minister Mosese Bulitavu has signalled immediate action to tackle chronic transport shortages at district offices on Vanua Levu, saying the lack of vehicles is undermining delivery of government services to remote and maritime communities. Kubulau in Bua was identified as among the worst-affected stations, with district officers reportedly forced to rely on public buses to reach villages and carry out their duties.
“There are a few district offices in Vanua Levu that currently do not have transportation, especially our Kubulau station,” Bulitavu said, recounting a briefing he received after entering the Northern Division. “At the moment, our district officers use buses to travel and serve the community, and from the briefing I received upon entering the Northern Division, it was clear that transportation is a major issue.”
As an immediate response, the ministry is moving to secure a dedicated vehicle and driver for the Kubulau station to reduce reliance on irregular public services. Officials are also working to reassign vehicles from Suva to support assistant district officers operating in other remote areas across Vanua Levu. Bulitavu stressed that these interim measures are intended to bolster officers’ capacity to traverse rough terrain and ensure timely access to communities that are often isolated.
Transportation shortfalls have also been formally raised in the ministry’s upcoming budget submission to the Ministry of Finance, Bulitavu confirmed. Including the issue in the budget bid signals an effort to seek longer-term funding for fleet upgrades and sustained transport provision for district offices, rather than ad hoc or temporary fixes.
The minister framed the moves as essential to core government service delivery: without reliable transport, staff cannot consistently visit rural settlements to deliver social services, implement development programs, or conduct outreach. He emphasised that restoring dependable mobility for district officers would improve responsiveness and help the government meet obligations to communities across Vanua Levu and surrounding maritime areas.
The ministry’s announcement comes amid broader concern over transport and road conditions across Fiji, particularly in more remote divisions where geography increases costs and complexity of service delivery. For residents of Kubulau and similar districts, a dedicated vehicle and driver could reduce travel delays, ensure safer movement over challenging roads, and free officers from having to coordinate around bus timetables.
Bulitavu said the ministry would continue to implement interim measures while awaiting budget outcomes, with reassigned assets expected to provide short-term relief. He indicated that securing a vehicle and driver for Kubulau was a priority and that further reassignments would be considered based on need assessments conducted across the Northern Division. The timing of budget approvals and the scale of any new fleet purchases will depend on decisions by the Ministry of Finance.