Lorry and tractor drivers in Korotari, Labasa are increasingly concerned about their safety due to the poor state of the roads.
Vishwa Chand, a local sugarcane farmer and lorry driver, has highlighted the severity of the problem, urging for immediate attention to prevent serious accidents. “There are rocks on the road surface that can damage our lorry tires,” he explained.
Chand pointed out that rainfall runoff causes significant erosion, exposing rocks and further deteriorating the road. He has appealed to the Government to grade the roads to alleviate these hazardous conditions.
Last month, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Biman Prasad, emphasized in his budget announcement that improving road infrastructure was a government priority, especially to assist farmers in transporting their goods to market.
Chand described the Korotari road as so hazardous that he often has to carefully balance his lorry overloaded with cane. “Previously, the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) had carried out grading works, but the issue has re-emerged,” he noted.
The road conditions are also impacting sugarcane harvests. “We want to transport more cane, but the dangerous roads cause drivers and farmers to reconsider,” Chand added. He mentioned that requests for intervention by the Minister for Sugar, Charan Jeath Singh, earlier this year have gone unanswered.
Drainage issues are the primary cause of the road’s poor state, with water runoff eroding the soil. Chand suggested that proper drainage systems must be developed in specific parts of the road.
Additionally, the Vunimoli bridge, which serves the road to Korotari, is in dire need of repair.
Chand has proposed a solution: tar sealing three kilometers of road annually for the next three to four years. “This continuous effort will resolve the entire road problem,” he asserted. He also highlighted the high maintenance costs due to the rugged terrain and urged the Government to act before a fatal accident occurs.
Pradeep Lal, another resident and daily commuter, expressed his frustration with the poor road conditions, despite Korotari being a major source of raw materials for road works. “Korotari is essential as it supplies gravel and stones for other road projects in the division,” he stressed.
Korotari is a key area in the North, known for its high vegetable supply to the Labasa municipal market.