‘More Police presence needed’

Lautoka Residents and Ratepayers Association President Narayan Reddy said the recent accident along Tukani street on Thursday highlighted the need for more police presence on busy intersections.

The accident involved a 65-yearold woman who died after allegedly being hit and crushed by a bus belonging to Classic Buses Limited. She was trying to cross Tukani street in Lautoka on May 12.

“What we need is more police presence in town on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Those are the busy days, that’s when these accidents tend to happen. When that area near the supermarkets and the bus station is busy, people tend to cross as soon as they find space,” he said.

He said busses also sped past the intersections before turning into the bus station area

“We have asked for more police presence because there’s a market police post near there and we were also concerned at the rate the buses sped to the bus station, most of them don’t wait, they just turn,” he said.

“Normally when the big buses turn the smaller vehicles have to stop but when the pedestrians are crossing the buses sometimes do not stop and I think this is the third or fourth accident that has happened near the Lautoka bus station in the past two or three years.”

Police Spokesperson Wame Bautolu confirmed that Classic Buses driver Evami Tauva was charged and produced at the Lautoka Magistrates Court on May 13.

Numerous attempts to confirm Tauva’s charges proved futile however Mr Bautolu stated earlier that Tauva was granted bail on the condition that he paid a bond of $1000 and his surety pay a bond of $500.

Tauva was also ordered not to reoffend, not change his address, not interfere with the prosecution’s witness, report to the Lautoka Police station every Friday between 6 am- 7 pm and a stop departure order was also issued

The matter has been adjourned to July 26 for mention

Police are also yet to comment on the possibility of more officers being deployed to busy intersections in Lautoka City.