Bridges, Water

Population Growth

Exceeds Funds

Fiji Clamours for Roads, Bridges, Water

FIJI’S Public Works Director, Mr.

John Common, is a sorely harassed man. His department las to face ever-mounting criticism ;ver the state of the roads in the Dolony, the lack of water in several hickly-populated areas, and dilap dated bridges along the main high vays.

Some of the main roads are really n a shocking condition. But it is lardly fair to lay the blame on the Director (who has been in the Colony less than 18 months) and on ils presejit staff. There has been lad planning, and there is a chronic hortage of public works funds.

The patrol officer of the Auto mobile Association of Fiji said re ently that he was continually re eiving complaints from drivers bout damage to their vehicles, be ause of potholes on the King’s load between Lautoka and Rakiraki.

One stretch of that road (be ween Ba and Tavua) was so bad hat many motorists preferred to tay at home rather that damage heir vehicles.

Mr. R. H. Frow, the patrol officer, aid that the road surface was de sriorating so rapidly that it was nlikely to be a road at all in 1960, y which year the Government had romised to have it tar-sealed.

A Public Works spokesman re orted that grading of the road ras impossible because of prolonged ry weather. Grading now would ssult in further deterioration, be ause fine material on the road ould be blown away.

The spokesman said that the Gov ernment was spending thousands of ounds on realigning a section of mis road, and that when this was one the road would be tar-sealed.

The Government plans eventually ) tar-seal the main highways round the Colony, and proposes to o the work in sections, paying at mtion to the worst areas first.

The programme, of necessity, must 3 a long-term one; and it needs tore than a crystal ball to forecast hen motorists will be able to motor round the island of Viti Levu, safe i the knowledge that there will Dt be a series of potholes or cor igations round the next corner.

JOMEONE blundered in the recent ) past, in failing to see that the area between Suva and Nausori, ong the King’s Road, would de ?lop rapidly, and that a growing >pulation would need water.

From Samabula Bridge (about four miles from Suva) to Koronivia Agricultural Station (six miles further on) residents of a fairly densely populated area now rely on tank water. There has been a pro longed dry spell in the south, so their water has been carted to them in PWD trucks.

PWD plans to instal a pipe-line and have it delivering water by the end of 1958, as far out as the six-miles peg from Suva. Once that is done, it will not take long to extend the line to connect with the Nausori supply. In the mean time, residents watch hopefully for rain to fill their tanks, or for the arrival of the PWD tanker.