Praneeta Prakash 
[file/photo]
Questions have been raised about whether the Land Transport Authority can hold the Fiji Roads Authority accountable when road conditions put motorists at risk.
Member of Parliament Rinesh Sharma welcomed the increased presence of LTA and police officers at checkpoints but questioned what role the LTA plays when road conditions put motorists at risk.
“LTA ensures that vehicles must be safe for the road, but can LTA ensure that the road is safe for the vehicle or the driver? And what I’m trying to say is if LTA can hold FRA accountable for the road conditions.”
Responding, Transport Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau said the FRA is responsible for roads.
“FRA is responsible for the roads and working in accordance with the programs already in place, the budget, the road maintenance sector, and holding each other accountable. That’s not there, that’s a possibility, and also impossibility.”
The exchange left open what role the LTA could play in requiring action on unsafe road conditions.
Tuisawau also outlined the scale of the LTA’s enforcement activities, saying officers stopped and inspected 317,600 vehicles nationwide between January and September 2026.
During that period, the authority issued 67,404 traffic infringement notices and reported an overall compliance rate of approximately 79 percent.
In a month-long joint operation with police in March, the LTA inspected 42,400 vehicles, issued 8,200 infringement notices and 1,264 defect orders, and impounded 29 vehicles.
A second joint operation in October resulted in 7,496 infringement notices and 1,151 defect orders, with 16 vehicles impounded.
