Shania Shayal Prasad 
The government is reviewing the country’s vehicle imports to tackle growing traffic congestion.
According to Transport Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau, the nation can no longer afford to import an unlimited number of cars.
The new assessment will look at the number of private cars, rental vehicles, and second-hand imports as part of a larger plan to ease traffic and update our transportation infrastructure.
Transport Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau. [File Photo]
The Minister says this review will also help identify gaps and improve planning.
“We are also assessing the number of rental car companies, the number of second-hand car dealers. So this will be compiled into a comprehensive policy for cabinet.”
Ro Filipe also raised concerns about the rising number of electric vehicles in Fiji.
“As part of this assessment, the disposal of vehicles and the age of vehicles. Because when you talk about electric vehicles, you have batteries and all that. And even with electronic vehicles, you need the infrastructure to back up these vehicles. Because there’s no point having huge numbers of EVs when you don’t have the infrastructure to support this.”
Ro Filipe says stricter laws and better enforcement are key.
He adds that their goal is to create a smarter, more sustainable transport system for Fiji.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
