THE Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) is concerned with overgrown vegetation and household waste piled beside and on the road reserves around the country.
FRA’s general manager network operations and maintenance Aram Goes has requested members of the public not to plant crops or store personal items such as building materials on the road reserve, as they (FRA) would not take any liability if the crops or properties were damaged during mowing or roadside and drainage clearing activities.
“The FRA contractors periodically cleans, mows and removes overgrown weeds and self-sown trees to keep the road reserves clear of vegetation, debris and other obstructions,” said Mr Goes.
“People planting crops along the road do so at their own risk, as do people leaving personal property outside their private boundary,” he said.
Mr Goes said in addition, roadside drains on road reserve often had overgrown plants and frequently littered with household rubbish, which caused pollution and extra work for the contractors.
FRA does not encourage residents to plant beside the road reserves for safety reasons.
“Planting in the road reserve restrict visibility of oncoming vehicle in bends, increasing the risk of collisions,” he said
Mr Goes said overgrown trees and plants beside roads also covered important road signs.
He said the FRA had a “Corridor Access Request”, a permit members of the public wanting may acquire in order to carry out activities on road reserves, like driveway construction, water connections and many more.
“This is a free public service and these conditions are to ensure the works meet the required standards, safety requirements and do not conflict with planned upgrades,” he said.
