Is Fiji prepared for Monorail - What do you think?

Suva-Nausori monorail plan

writer : MAIKA BOLATIKI

Experts on monorail from California have made presentations to Government on the possibility of monorail here in Fiji.
Ministry of Works, Transport and Public Utilities spokesman Iliesa Sokia said the group had returned and the monorail discussion was at ministerial level.
He said the Minister for Works, Transport and Public Utilities, Captain (Navy) Timoci Natuva said the proposal was to have monorail to ease transportation and road congestion along the Suva/Nausori corridor.
The proposal was revealed by Captain Natuva when he closed the 10th Fiji National Transport Consultative Forum at the Hotel Novotel Suva Lami Bay .
He said, “This will put Fiji as an international leader in public transportation systems in the South Pacific. The state of the art technology, if introduced, is expected to dwarf any other rail system currently available in Australia and New Zealand.” Having monorail, he said, would open more doors of opportunity.
“We need to ask ourselves why most tourists go to Nadi and the Coral Coast and not many come to Suva.
“Everything a tourist wants is in the West; sandy beaches, five-star hotels and international airport.”
Captain Natuva said a mono rail that would connect Suva to Lautoka would boost tourist arrivals in the capital.
“A Lautoka-Suva monorail will allow tourists to sightsee, have fun, pub crawling before heading back to their hotel in the West. It’s simple as that, and that is the challenge I pose to stakeholders if we are to deliver excellence in our transportation network.” Mr Sokia said the American company based in California made a good presentation and was willing to work on this project.

The mono rail would ease road congestion and make travelling more convenient.