Mosese Raqio 
Students receiving Fiji’s National Transport Assistance Scheme will have to reapply before the start of every school year.
Education Minister Aseri Radrodro says applications for blue bus cards and Rural Service Licence assistance must be submitted through schools using Ministry-approved forms.
Schools will verify students’ eligibility before applications are processed by the Ministry.
Radrodro says approved blue cards will be topped up for Term One, while eligible students will automatically receive top-ups at the beginning of Terms Two and Three.
He is also warning students to keep their cards safe, as replacement cards will not automatically qualify for assistance.
“Students who lose or damage their cards must complete a replacement form, have it endorsed by their school head and submit it at a Vodafone outlet. Their school must then update FEMIS to activate the replacement.”
For rural students, schools will issue daily vouchers to eligible students for use with Rural Service Licence providers.
Radrodro says $54 million has been allocated for student transport assistance in the 2026–27 Budget.
The funding supports more than 70,000 blue-card users and over 44,000 students under the rural service scheme.
However, Opposition MP Hem Chand says some parents in Nadi, Lautoka, Labasa, Suva and Nausori are still paying bus fares because students who applied have not received their blue cards.
He says incomplete or late applications remain a major cause of delays, and schools must ensure student information is submitted and verified on time.
