Residents of Lalakoro in Seaqaqa are calling for immediate action from authorities after a Rural Services License (RSL) operator’s decision has left local students without reliable transportation to school. Parent Zibran Hussein highlights the urgent situation affecting ten students who attend Vunimanuca Primary School, located approximately three kilometers from their homes. Without safe transport, these children are resorting to traveling on cane trucks—a method that raises significant safety concerns.
Currently, while 26 students from other nearby communities continue to benefit from RSL services, those in Lalakoro have been abandoned, leading to fears about child safety and equitable access to education. Hussein emphasizes the risk involved, stating, “The main issue for us here in Lalakoro is that the RSL is not picking up our students. Now we have to take them on a cane truck, and it’s always a risk if something happens to them. We don’t have a car, only a cane truck, so the students sit at the back.”
With the new school year already in full swing, parents are urgently seeking solutions to ensure their children can travel to school safely. Fellow parent Ilisabeta Wati adds her voice to the concern, explaining the dangers of allowing children to walk long distances through cane fields and farming areas. “It’s quite a distance from here to the school, and it is surrounded by cane fields. If I let them walk, there is always that fear that something could happen to them,” she said, indicating that at times, she might choose not to send her children to school.
According to FBC News, the situation arose after parents raised complaints about the RSL operator’s inefficiency, citing that their children were often left waiting for nearly two hours for pickups. The operator has since ceased servicing Lalakoro due to logistical challenges, as they are servicing six other communities along the same route. The Ministry of Education’s Transport Officer has referred the issue to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), noting that a new operator can only be appointed after the current license for the area is surrendered.
In a move toward resolution, FBC News has also requested comments from the LTA regarding the situation. The hope remains that authorities will address these transportation concerns promptly, ensuring that all students, regardless of their location, have equitable access to safe education. As discussions are ongoing, the community stands united in their plea for a reliable solution to keep their children safe while accessing essential educational services.