Traffic offences in Fiji could soon carry criminal penalties, including imprisonment as part of ongoing road safety reforms.
“We are working closely with our Fiji Police Force to ensure that regulations do support in terms of criminalisation of traffic offences,” LTA chief executive officer Irimaia Rokosawa said. “It’s all for the spirit and the intent of road safety.”
The move comes after a 25 per cent rise in road deaths, with 83 fatalities recorded by the end of 2025, compared to 66 in 2024.
He said speeding remains the leading cause of fatal crashes.
LTA, he said, was also planning to introduce a demerit points system, which will predetermine penalties and reduce reliance on subjective enforcement.
“For demerit points to come into effect, we must ensure that the right regulations are there and the right infrastructure in terms of the system, because this will be rule-based, that will be embedded in the systems.”
Currently, demerit points can only be issued by magistrates, but the LTA aims to gain the legal mandate to issue points directly, following models in Australia and New Zealand.
“Right now, it’s a face-to-face, or through a person-to-person interaction, and then we issue our penalties. But with the introduction of demerit points, the regulations and the system predetermine the penalties.”
He emphasised that criminalisation and demerit points are part of a broader strategy to make drivers more accountable.
“Traffic offences is not something that you take for granted, and that is something that the Land Transport Authority, together with our key stakeholders, our line ministry, Fiji Police Force, we are working towards.”
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