Labasa Town has been facing huge peak-time traffic congestion over the past two years.
Traffic congestion is understandable in metropolitan cities but when it occurs in small towns, it reflects poor planning and poor decision making.
I believe the closure of a street to all traffic except buses from town end is the key factor in traffic congestion in Labasa Town even when the number of vehicles registered in Labasa is also factored in.
My preliminary findings reveal that it takes a shocking 26 minutes on average for a vehicle to travel from Qawa bridge to Labasa market each morning from 7.30am to 8am which is merely a distance of two kilometers! The same distance could be covered in two minutes during off peak hours.
Similar scenarios also exist for travel time from other points into town.
This is a huge loss of productive time for students, workers and civil servants. Monocentric model of Labasa Town makes it imperative in commuting hence overcrowding and congestion.
I urge the Fiji Roads Authority to understand this and swiftly reopen Jaduram St to all vehicles so that there is free flow of traffic.
If however, FRA still thinks that it will not solve traffic congestion, I humbly ask them to at least reopen this street on a three month trial starting now otherwise provide immediate solution to this growing concern in Labasa Town.
The public has heard of a bypass road for the past 10 years and while this is a possible long-term solution, people are waiting for something better in the meantime and I foresee that the situation is going to get worse with the approaching festive season if traffic continues to be directed through the Labasa market area and taxi stand.
I believe congestion is a complex phenomenon, influenced by socioeconomic, technical and human factors and if not considered into urban planning will tend to pose greater problem in the long term.
