For safer roads
THERE have been many tragic road accidents where lives have been lost. There have been many accidents where lives have not been lost but the victims suffer from disabilities throughout their lifetime. Sometimes people are paralysed or lose their limbs. The family suffers as well. The health and socioeconomic costs are great to the family and the nation. We all try to look at who is at fault but we need to focus on what are the causes of these road accidents. We have drivers who speed and are negligent of the road rules. They try to beat the traffic but cause accidents. We have pedestrians who are ignorant of road safety and road rules as well. Having humps is a good solution but will cause traffic problems to our already busy roads. The police and LTA need to deploy staff in looking after pedestrians and controlling the traffic especially in the mornings and afternoons for schoolchildren in the high traffic areas. Parents have to be vigilant as well with their children and teach road safety at home and practise it while they are on the road. We need to look at road safety programs in schools where children are taught and this is practised on the roads. Drivers have undergone defensive driving classes through LTA but we need drivers to change their behaviour and attitude while on the roads. Drivers need to be careful and slow down near bus stops, especially when children are present. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility. Let’s all work together both drivers and pedestrians to make our roads safer.
Vineet Chand, Rakiraki
Work for my wish
I REMEMBER when I was in primary school there used to be a wishing well at the then Prouds Triangle which is where the famous ivi tree stands in Suva. I would spare five cents (half of my weekly spending money) to drop into the well. I can remember wishing for many things that I didn’t really need. There were times when I didn’t have any spare but I would still go and stand there and when someone tossed in some money I would quickly whisper a wish. I would depend on the other person’s money for my wish. When I look back I think about where all that money had gone. I vaguely remember something about an organisation but I’ll leave it at that and hope someone older than me or someone with a better memory can enlighten us. But what is it to make a wish? What if wishes did came true? If wishes do come true, please tell me where I can go to get my wish. Is it a wishing well that is just like the one I am talking about, does one still exist? Like a wishing well that has coins at the bottom and in the sunlight they all glitter? But back in the day my dad told me,”You will have to find a job to carry on from when I will leave you”. And I did (find a job) and then I realised, this is the wishing well I was really looking for. Anyway my job was the wish that made my dreams come true. I shall stop now, because I have to do some work to make my wish come true. How about you?
Allen Lockington, Lautoka
Better pay, higher output
THE letter by Mr Shah was very interesting. Some in our workforce have low wages and poor working conditions. Sometimes the workers are not given all the resources they need, even protective equipment. How can we expect our workers to work hard in these conditions? If employers want high productivity and high outputs, they need to motivate their employees with benefits such as health insurance and bonuses. Workers have the right to better working conditions and this has been mandated by law in the Health and Safety at Work Act. Foreign workers enjoy high wages and proper working conditions as their law and the implementation of workplace policies are very good and employers are supportive. Fiji needs to have similar enforcement systems in place. Better workplace leads to better performance and productivity.
Vineet Chand, Rakirak
Decent quality
I BELIEVE decent and quality work is necessary for Fijian development where effective protection of rights should remain paramount.
Dan Urai, Lautoka
