Bula
Two stories make the front page of The Sunday Times for December 1.
PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is open to calling for an investigation into the professional relationship shared by iTaukei Affairs Minister Ifereimi Vasu and business partner Jason Zhong should the matter be raised with him formally. Mr Rabuka said he hasn’t received any report on this but if it does reach his office, he will “talk to him (Mr Vasu) first”. This week, international investigative journalism agency, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), referred to a 2020 Fiji “police briefing” document they obtained, which included a profile of Mr Zhong.
Mr Vasu said he won’t be speaking any further on this.
The other story is about the rise in fuel prices. Consumers will have to dig deeper into their pockets as gas and diesel prices increase from today. The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) said this fuel and LPG product price review in Fiji followed a one-month lag period. FCCC enforcement teams will also conduct inspections at wholesale/retail outlets and service stations to ensure there is no price gouging. Here are the new prices: Motor Spirit: $2.67 from $2.62 Premix: $2.51 from $2.43 Kerosene: $1.74 from $1.67 Diesel: $2.27 from $2.18 4.5kg Cylinder: $15.35 from $14.97 12kg Cylinder: $40.92 from $39.91 Autogas (Litre): $2.22.Letters to the editor
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Enough of the talk, more action please!
The fact that the national road death toll has risen to 55 must inch out concern.
It must concern us so much that we do something about arresting it. It must prick at our nerves and bother us. It must make us angry that we are still having people dying on our roads.
The latest death came in the wake of an accident on Thursday night when an eight-year-old girl was fatally struck by a vehicle along Edinburgh Drive in Suva.
The girl, according to police, was crossing Edinburgh Drive with her father on the evening of November 28 when they were allegedly hit by a vehicle driven by a 43-year-old man.
Both were immediately rushed to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, but the young girl was pronounced dead on arrival.
Director Traffic Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mitieli Divuana said while the number of fatalities was less than the 74 deaths recorded during the same period last year, he urged all road users to be responsible and adhere to road safety rules.
Investigations into the accident were ongoing, he said, and the driver involved would be questioned in the coming days.
And while we are at it, today marks the first day of December. It’s the start of the festive season. This is when a lot of companies will be hosting end of year parties, and there will be a lot of merry making. In fact, it is the order of the month. It’s expected that people will be enjoying themselves and gearing up to enjoy the company of family and friends. There will be a lot of movement as the days count down to Christmas and Boxing days, and for New Year’s Day. There will be visits to other districts and villages.
Thousands will flock across to our many beaches around the country to enjoy themselves with family and loved ones. It is a month when thousands more will let their hair down and relax after a long year at work. They will unwind and enjoy themselves to the brim.
So in the face of all this, we say, let’s be careful.
Let’s plan to stay safe on our roads. Let’s plan to follow road rules and not push the boundaries when it comes to the law.
Let’s plan our journey, and plan to arrive alive!
Accidents happen because we allow them to. That must make sense!
Try and understand that and embrace the message in that!
Every year we talk about road safety. We talk so much about prevention and discuss the laws that govern how we use our roads.
Yet every year accidents happen. Maybe a driver failed to negotiate a bend because he or she was driving too fast. Maybe a driver did not service his or her vehicle on time, and the brakes failed, or something else happened to the vehicle, causing an accident. Maybe a driver tried to overtake a vehicle at the wrong time, and his or her miscalculation resulted in an accident. Maybe a driver did not fix dim headlights and did not see the road clearly, or road markings, or people walking. Maybe a driver was talking on the mobile phone and failed to see a vehicle out of lane, or a pedestrian crossing. Maybe a driver did not bother to fix his trafficator lights and changed lanes suddenly, causing an accident! Who knows? Anything can happen on our roads. Let’s remember pedestrians also have to be proactive when out and about on our roads. They must adhere to road rules and be aware of traffic movement around them.
The key here is road safety! We can talk and we can be frustrated and angry! When accidents happen, and a life is lost, no amount of talking and emotional reactions will bring that life back! This is why we must be proactive. We must be vigilant! Enough of the talk!
