A Fiji non-government organisation has amassed 20,000 signatures in a drive to overturn government’s decision in July to allow a 13 percent increase in bus fares.
The Ecumenical Center for Research, Education and Advocacy (ECREA) plans to present the petitions to the Prime Minister’s Office.
“We are in the process of setting up a meeting with the Prime Minister’s office and have asked that the Ministers of Transport, Education and Finance and the regional manager of LTA (Land Transport Authority) be present in order to accept these petitions and results of the survey,” said ECREA director Chantelle Khan.
“We are also sifting through these petitions to ensure that they are valid i.e. not ‘tempered’ with as we would like these petitions to reach the correct decision-makers,” said Khan.
The signatures had been gathered mainly from the Lami-Suva-Nausori corridor.
Khan said the NGO had also been invited to Naitasiri this weekend where people had started their own petition drive.
“And from Nadi women from community groups have emailed expressing their full support.”
