Q: I lost my drivers licence and I need a new one (duplicate). What I must I do?

A: Licence holders need to report the loss to the nearest police station and obtain a police report, you will also have to produce a statutory declaration by a JP. Fill out the appropriate form for a duplicate licence attach two passport-sized photographs and pay the necessary fees. The above applies if the licence is valid or has lapsed less than three years. If the lost licence has lapsed for over three years then you need to write to the Chief Executive explaining the reasons for the renewal of the licence. You will pay the arrears from the date the licence lapsed.
PSV licence holders need to do the same as the above but only if your licence has lapsed under one year. Ensure you have a valid Defensive Driving certificate and a medical certificate.

Q: I applied for a PSV permit (taxi or minibus) as far back as 1998. Why is this taking so long to process?

A: To begin with the LTA is trying to process all the backlog inherited from the Department of Road Transport and also those applications received since the Authority came into being in mid 2000.
On minibuses, the biggest stumbling block has been the non-availability of stands from which they could operate. Other factors include the type of motor vehicle operators want to use, route, drivers licence. Several municipal councils gazetted their minibus stands in August 2002, but demand has been such that the majority of these have been allocated.
A freeze was placed on the receipt of new taxi permit applications in May of 2004, to allow the processing of over 600 applications received from 2000 to date. Factors leading to delays include – non-availability of stands, and non-availability of funds.

Q: Bus services are not what they used to be. Everyday we see buses breaking down by the roadside. Who checks these buses?

A: The LTA is responsible for inspecting all PSVs, including buses. At the moment the Authority is inspecting each bus company and there are initiatives in place for a regularization of bus services in the country. True bus companies today leave much to be desired of the service they provide. Often buses are cleared to run when buses are not fully capable to service any route, secondly bus companies are stretching their resources with the increasing number of new routes and extension of old route. There has also been a noticeable lack of investment in new buses by these companies, as was the practice in the past, this means that buses operating today have generally gone past use by dates.

Q: I have a motor vehicle. Can I change the registration number to one of the current series?

A: That is illegal because people can pass off old vehicles for new on the strength of the new registration number. You can, however, buy a unique number, which remains yours until you sell the plate.

Q: What must I do if a taxi driver has ripped me off through over charging?

A: Report the matter to the LTA giving the following details – registration number of the taxi, time of the incident, picked you up from where and dropped you where, if you know, what is the normal fare for that run.

Q: Why doesn't the LTA regulate fares charged by carriers, minibuses, and minivans?

A: The LTA cannot regulate the fare for any illegal service because that would be tantamount to approval to operate. The LTA is mindful of the fact that these operators are doing a much needed service for the public, but it must also remind operators that they have an obligation to ensure that services provided is in keeping with the fact that they are charging a fare. Fare paying passengers should expect and get the basics of safety and availability of insurance in the case of accidents occurring. Carrier Permits are available on application. Minivans on the hand are illegal.

Q: What powers do the LTA enforcement officers and authorised officers have?

A: LTA Enforcement and Authorised officers have wide ranging authority, much like the police, except for the powers to arrest a person. They have the power to inspect any vehicle on any road, public or otherwise, or to enter any property, without a warrant to inspect a motor vehicle on the property if it believes that the vehicle was either used in the course of a crime, or was driven when the registration (wheeltax) had lapsed. They also have the power to cause that vehicle to towed to any LTA premises and be impounded. They also have the authority to stop a vehicle on the road and demand passengers to alight, or stop the vehicle to carry out an inspection on the vehicle.

Q: What can I expect to pay if I am caught driving an unregistered vehicle?

A: First of all you have committed an offence by driving an unregistered motor vehicle, therefore the spot fine is $200.00. Apart from that you will have to pay the following:
- Impounding fees - $72.00
- Arrears in Wheel tax
- Permission to drive certificate - $7.00
- Towing charges - Depending on the distance to LTA office. The Fees ranges from $50.00 to $500.00

Q: Do I have to pay the spot fines to the LTA officers on the road side?

A: No. The spot fine is to be paid within 21 consecutive days from the day you were booked. The officers on the road do not have the authority to accept any payment for fines, and cannot receipt any money given to them. The LTA, however, is looking at ways to make the above possible for those wishing to do so.

Q: What happens if I do not pay the spot fine on time?

A: The Traffic Infringement Notice (TIN) given to you also includes the date when your case will be heard in the Magistrate’s Court, if you fail to pay the spot fine on time. The spot fines are fixed penalties and the courts can levy anything from the fixed penalty to the maximum, which in most cases is 10x the spot fines. Included in this is the court cost which you will also have to pay, and the possibility of demerit points being added against you.

Q: I want to transfer my taxi permit to someone else. Can I do that?

A: Yes, you can transfer your taxi permit to someone else but only for the following reasons:
- Death of the permit holder,
- Migration of the permit holder,
- The age of the permit holder making it impossible for him/her to continue operations, and
- Any other cases which the Authority may deem as a good reason.

Q: Can I transfer my permit to a non-Fijian?

A: Yes. The LTA is not covered under the Social Justice Act and therefore does not come under the ambit of Affirmative Action, yet Government is in the process of regularising this which will make it hard to do this.

Q: I bought a motor vehicle only to find out later that it had wheeltax arrears. Who should clear this, me or the previous owner?

A: The arrears will have to be cleared by who ever is the registered owner of the vehicle. The onus is on you as the buyer to research the vehicle you want to buy before buying. The LTA does not have anything to say on this issue, except to stress that the arrears will have to be paid if you want your vehicle to register