Passengers in rural areas are struggling to top up their bus cards.
While raising concerns during the Meet the Press and Public Forum in Labasa this week, resident Vishal Narayan said many retailers and vendors in the interior of Vanua Levu do not have the necessary machines to recharge the cards.
“This problem is especially serious in remote locations where people rely heavily on bus transport but have limited access to card top-up facilities,” Mr Narayan said.
In response, the Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad acknowledged that people in very remote areas do face such challenges. Prof Prasad said the government was actively working to address the issue by engaging with service providers.
“We are asking providers, particularly those that are tasked with improving access, to step up,” Prof Prasad said.
He said another Deputy Prime Minister was overseeing progress and that improvements were already underway.
“Better connectivity through services like Starlink and infrastructure projects such as laying cables between Labasa and Seaqaqa are expected to help.
“Once that infrastructure is completed, connectivity will improve.”
When asked how much was in the Universal Service Fund, which supported communications in underserved areas, Prof Prasad said he did not have the exact figure available but assured the fund was being used to connect communities.
He said many rural residents are now receiving services they had been denied for years.
“We have said very clearly that we want to connect those that are not connected,” he said, adding that more people in rural areas were now benefiting from digital and transport services.
