Free bus fares for pensioners

We must commend the minister responsible and Government for providing free bus fares for pensioners by affording bus companies concessions, including retention of VAT on fares.

It should be noted that many of these elderly pensions have disabilities e.g. knee, hip and back injuries that make it difficult if not impossible to board buses because their steps are too high.

So many will not be able take advantage of this benefit. The older pensioners get the bigger their need for bus services!

A few years ago the issue of lowering the height of steps was raised with the bus industry.

Were they given time to gradually effect the lowering of the step height?

Bus operators delay in implementing this change will be to their advantage because they will not need to provide this service to fewer pensioners and the disabled. However, I do not agree with him when he says that Fiji Hindi should be given more importance.

One must remember that we do not teach Fiji Hindi, but is naturally learnt in the home since birth.

We cannot practise the essence of our culture, rituals and values through Fiji Hindi. In fact, Fiji Hindi has downgraded our basics of the values and cultural practices.

Fiji Hindi has a place in Fiji which does not need any protection, but standard Hindi needs more attention.

The respect for each other comes from the use of standard language and not a language which is a fruit salad in terms of structure and vocabulary.

The use of terms such as away.

This is gone already and if nothing is done our respect for each other will be gone.

Our thinking is getting limited and our culture is losing its lustre.

Please advocate for standard Hindi teaching, but as usual we continue with Fiji Hindi in our daily life of informality. Ji and Aap is fading