FIJI Roads Authority chief executive officer Neil Cook has advised motorists to drive slowly on roads which have portions of soft and bumpy tarseal caused by continuous hot weather.
His plea follows concerns raised by some motorists travelling along the Nagigi Rd, outside Savusavu Town that gravel on the newly upgraded roads has been easily lifted off the road by running tyres.
Rakesh Kumar, a frequent user of the Buca Bay-Savusavu corridor said he has had to remove pebbles stuck to the bottom of his truck.
“This happens a lot during the hot weather and lately, it has been frequent and this happened before Christmas,” he said.
“When I am driving, I can actually hear the small stones getting lifted off the road and onto the tray of my carrier and it happens a lot during hot sunny days.”
Another motorist, Salanieta Koroi of Savusavu, said she faced the same problem while driving along the same road.
“The pebbles actually get stuck to the bottom of our car and I have had to remove it every time.”
Other motorists have contacted The Fiji Times office in Labasa to express their concerns.
Mr Cook said such a situation was expected during hot weather, adding that it had happened in the past.
“Drivers are to drive slowly if they experience the soft seal on the roads and the hot sun is an issue beyond our control,” he said.