Taxi operators in Lautoka have raised alarms after several service stations began showing low fuel levels from Monday, warning that continued shortages could immediately hit public transport and school travel across the city. Operators say the situation on the ground conflicts with recent government assurances about national fuel reserves, increasing uncertainty for drivers who rely on daily fuel availability.
Naresh Kumar, a taxi operator in Lautoka, said he has seen bowsers running empty despite media reports that there is fuel for as long as 45 days. “It’s not much because you also have to consider if the fuel is coming, the clearance of the fuel and its delivery to the bowser,” Kumar said. “If there is no fuel, we will not be able to operate our taxi business. That is our bread and butter. It is going to be hard — not only us who will be affected, the bus drivers as well and students who rely on public transport to go to school will now have to stay home.”
Fellow operator Rovin Mani called on the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) to step up monitoring of fuel prices and stocks, and to investigate possible hoarding. “FCCC should step in and stop the hoarding of fuel and cross-check the stock,” Mani said, adding that operators are unclear about the true status of supplies on the ground. He pointed to what he described as conflicting messages from officials — initially being told reserves would last three months, and then, “the next day they are saying till the month end.” Mani urged authorities to prioritise a resolution to prevent “a fuel crisis.”
The concerns come as Cabinet met yesterday to consider longer-term contingency plans should the Middle East conflict that has disrupted global shipping and crude supplies continue to escalate. Government-level deliberations follow wider warnings from sector regulators earlier this year about the vulnerability of island nations like Fiji to spikes in global fuel prices and supply route disruptions.
Local operators’ complaints echo broader operational impacts already felt in the aviation and transport sectors. Earlier this year Fiji Airways placed restrictions on some regional routes because of fuel supply constraints, requiring contingency fuel arrangements that affected passenger loads and schedules. Regulators such as the FCCC have previously cautioned that Fiji is a price taker on global energy markets and that tensions around critical passages like the Strait of Hormuz could translate quickly into higher domestic prices or constrained shipments.
For now, taxi drivers in Lautoka are watching service station bowsers and delivery trucks closely, while calling on both the FCCC and government ministries to provide clearer, consistent information about actual fuel stocks, distribution priorities and measures to prevent hoarding. The immediate demand is practical: reassurance that there will be fuel available to keep public transport running and students getting to school, or, if not, transparent plans for rationing and support for affected commuters.
As the situation develops, the emphasis from operators is on swift action to stabilise local supplies and transparent reporting so businesses and families can plan. The Cabinet discussion on contingency planning signals the government is treating the disruption as part of a larger, potentially protracted supply challenge tied to ongoing international tensions.
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