5,000 residents of interior parts of Sigatoka are calling on authorities to provide them with bus services after these stopped in their areas.

Resident Pratap Chand said areas affected inlcude Nabitu, Lokia, Mid Valley and Bilalevu.

According to Chand, residents are facing lots of problems going to town to do their shopping as they are only farmers, and cannot afford rental cars and or to hire vehicles.

He said the Dominion Bus Company only provide their service up to Nabitu settlement, 30 kilometers from Sigatoka town and the highest fare is $3.60.

Chand added sometimes people go without rations and it’s very difficult to take many people to hospital that are sickly and elderly.

Dominion Transport said they have stopped services to these areas due to bad road conditions and illegal services by some private vehicle owners.

LTA spokesperson Ratu Eroni Volavola had earlier said that they cannot force the bus company to provide bus services.