Good roads transform lives of people
Those who criticise the public spending on roads do not understand its importance on our national development. Investment on roads is an essential lifeline to our livelihood and progress. It is a crucial catalyst to economic development and growth. It also provides social benefits. It is recognised the world over that roads are vitally important and an integral part of the engine room that makes countries like Fiji grow and develop.
Roads open up untapped areas and stimulate economic activities that effect positive social changes. They provide access to opportunities for employment. They also help people access education, social and health services. It is for this reason that we commend Digtrac Pte Limited and RPA Group Fiji Limited for the civic pride they displayed when they banded together to patch up potholes on the road to the Savusavu Sub-Divisional Hospital, free of charge. It is an amazing show of national pride. They realise that because of the budgetary constraints the Government faces because of the economic impact of COVID-19, they needed to help Digtrac Pte Limited owner Graham Haynes and his son Leonard said they would do anything for their community.
“We are aware and understand the negative impact of coronavirus pandemic. Hence, we decided to pull out our resources and manpower to assist the Fiji Roads Authority’s contractor,” Mr Haynes said.
They stepped in after the Fiji Sun highlighted the pothole problem.
RPA Group Fiji Limited North manager Sunia Baravilala said they were happy to bring great relief to the motorists and the medical staff of the hospital. When people are sick and are being taken to the hospital, having to navigate a road riddled with potholes not only slows the journey, but makes the pain and agony worse. Right across the country road developments make a huge difference to people’s lives. Recently, two events proved this. At Kavanagasau, of Sigatoka’s East Bank, farmers have expressed their appreciation to the Government for its swift action in upgrading their farm access road.
The access road, benefitting 32 vegetable farmers in the farming community, was commissioned by the Minister for Agriculture, Mahendra Reddy.
Farmers Gopal Naidu and Jargar Nandan said the upgraded road had given them a big moral boost because they knew that the old road had given them a lot of frustrations in the past. Now they are fired up to lift their production and increase their income. In the second event, in the Northern most tip of Vanua Levu, the people of Udu are singing praises for the Government. Road developments have transformed their lives.
Udu district representative Aisake Tusauma Galodamu said: “The new road has allowed us to access bus services in Udu Point. We’re so thankful that transportation problems will be a thing of the past. In the past we used boats. Our travel depended on the tides and the weather, but now with the new road, we can go to Labasa by bus. The cost of a one-way boat trip is equivalent to a return trip to Labasa by bus, that is cheaper, and we can save a lot more money from buying fuel.”
These are sincere testimonies of our rural people whose lives depend on good roads.