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60-675: The party was founded in 1990 as the political vehicle of the Great Council of Chiefs (GCC), with the declared goal of uniting all indigenous Fijians . A new constitution promulgated in 1990, following two military coups in 1987 , abolished the " national " parliamentary seats elected by universal suffrage (which had comprised almost half the House of Representatives); all members henceforth were to be elected by enrolled voters on "communal" electoral rolls that were limited to specific ethnic communities, each of which had an allocated number of seats in

120-487: A city government to ease bottlenecks or fill short gaps in the transport network. Zero-fare transport is often operated as part of the services offered within a public facility, such as a hospital or university campus shuttle or an airport inter-terminal shuttle. Some zero-fare services may be built to avoid the need for large transport construction. Port cities where shipping would require very high bridges might provide zero-fare ferries instead. These are free at

180-416: A goal of cutting down drunk driving. The University of Nottingham offers free Hopper Bus between its University Park and Jubilee, Sutton Bonington and Royal Derby Hospital campuses, where no other bus companies operate direct routes between. However, this service requires passengers to tap their university ID to board, meaning that members of the public cannot ride on these buses. In some regions transport

240-529: A local government. Zero-fare transport can make the system more accessible and fair for low-income residents. Other benefits are the same as those attributed to public transport generally: Global benefits of zero-fare transport are also the same as those attributed to public transport generally. If use of personal cars is discouraged, zero-fare public transport could mitigate the problems of global warming and oil depletion . On average, cars emit one pound of CO2 per mile driven. Public transport helps to reduce

300-532: A platform from which to advance his own political ambitions, were factors in the Cakaudrove Provincial Council's decision. He was replaced by Ratu Ovini Bokini , who was thought to be more sympathetic to the government. Bokini was re-elected to a full three-year term on 27 July 2005, and Ratu Sakiusa Makutu of Nadroga-Navosa was chosen as his Deputy, succeeding Ro Jone Mataitini , who decided not to seek re-election. Despite Fiji's membership of

360-633: A return to first past the post voting. These policies failed to stem the tide; the SVT's share of the vote sank to just 5.5 percent and it failed to win any seats. Much of the support it had previously enjoyed went to the new Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua of Laisenia Qarase . In June 2002, many members of the party merged with a number of other parties to form the Fiji Democratic Party , under Bole's leadership. This party dissolved itself in April 2005 to join

420-528: A single ethnic group. Ratu Mara had announced his intention not to contest the election that was to be held in 1992, but his wife, Ro Lady Lala Mara , an Adi in her own right as the Roko Tui Dreketi , or Paramount Chief, of Burebasaga (one of three hierarchies to which all Fijian chiefs belong in the House of Chiefs ), seemed a natural choice to lead a new party as the successor to his. In addition to

480-590: A workable majority. Internal strife weakened the party, and many influential members of the Great Council of Chiefs grew disillusioned with it, as did the Methodist Church. Despite this, it won a plurality in the parliamentary election that was called three years early in 1994, after the 1993 national budget defeat in parliament. The Vanua of Ra Province went against the GCC-supported SVT party during

540-462: Is Ratu Viliame Seruvakula . The Council was established in 1876 under the governorship of Sir Arthur Gordon . The decision was taken following consultations with chiefs, who advised Sir Arthur on how best to govern the colony's indigenous population. In the words of anthropologist Robert Norton, it "embodied the privileged relationship of trust and protection established between the Fijians and

600-481: Is student transport , where students travelling to or from school do not need to pay. The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point partly funds the Stevens Point Transit system. All students at the university can use any of the four citywide campus routes and the other four bus routes throughout the city free of charge. The university also funds two late night bus routes to serve the downtown free of charge with

660-522: Is free because the revenues are lower that expenses from fare collection is already partially paid by government or company or service (for example BMO railway road in Moscow, most part of is used to as service transport and officially pick up passengers). Many large amusement parks have trams servicing large parking lots or distant areas. Disneyland in Anaheim, California , runs a tram from its entrance, across

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720-408: Is fully funded by means other than collecting fares from passengers. It may be funded by national, regional or local government through taxation , and/or by commercial sponsorship by businesses. Alternatively, the concept of "free-ness" may take other forms, such as no-fare access via a card which may or may not be paid for in its entirety by the user. On 29 February 2020, Luxembourg became

780-613: The Central Ohio Transit Authority and King County Metro , offer free public transport during snow emergencies to reduce the number of vehicles on the street. During the COVID-19 pandemic , several agencies paused the collection of fares to alleviate concerns that the virus could be transmitted on surfaces, to keep travelers from coming into close contact with employees, or to allow rear door boarding on their vehicles. These agencies are mostly located in smaller cities where

840-631: The Commonwealth of Nations at that time as a republic, the Great Council recognised Queen Elizabeth II as its traditional Queen or paramount chief . On 20 April 2005, the Fijian government announced plans to grant greater formal powers to the Great Council. This proposal was immediately opposed by Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry , who said it would lead to "dual government" in Fiji, and also drew criticism from Ratu Epeli Ganilau. The former chairman of

900-563: The Fiji election of 2006 . Like many other political parties, the SVT was disbanded some time after the military coup of 2006. Great Council of Chiefs The Great Council of Chiefs ( Fijian : Bose Levu Vakaturaga ) is a Fijian constitutional body. It previously existed from 1876 to March 2012 and was restored in May 2023. It is different from the House of Chiefs , a larger body that includes all hereditary chiefs, although membership of

960-525: The Muckleshoot , Spokane , Umatilla and Yakama Indian Reservations . During natural disasters, pandemics, and other area-wide emergencies, some transit agencies offer zero-fare transport. Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit commuter rail temporarily offered free service for those needing transportation alternatives during the 2017 Tubbs Fire and 2019 Kincade Fire . Some agencies, including

1020-660: The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) of Bill Gavoka . While the NFP had already agreed to support the People's Alliance before the election, SODELPA had not given a position prior to the election and was thus made the kingmaker . SODELPA subsequently joined the People's Alliance-NFP coalition under certain conditions, one of which was bringing back the Great Council of Chiefs. These conditions were agreed upon. In April 2023, President Wiliame Katonivere confirmed that

1080-635: The University of California, Los Angeles covered fares for the university community, ridership increased by 56% in the first year and solo driving fell by 20% (though one older study showed no measurable impact on automobile use). In the United States, mass transit systems that collect fares are only expected to generate about 10% of the annual revenue themselves, with the remainder covered by either public or private investment and advertisements. Therefore, politicians and social-justice advocacy groups, such as

1140-1088: The farebox recovery ratio is low as they could afford to implement this policy without a major hit to revenue. A study was conducted to detail the ways that fare collection during the pandemic varied geographically and demographically. During this time, 63.5% of the 263 public transit agencies studied had suspended fare collection. Geographically, the alleviation of fares was common around urban centers like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City, etc and less obvious in northwestern states. Transport operators can benefit from faster boarding and shorter dwell times, allowing faster timetabling of services. Although some of these benefits can be achieved in other ways, such as off-vehicle ticket sales and modern types of electronic fare collection, zero-fare transport avoids equipment and personnel costs. Passenger aggression may be reduced. In 2008 bus drivers of Société des Transports Automobiles (STA) in Essonne held strikes demanding zero-fare transport for this reason. They claim that 90% of

1200-592: The 1992 elections and the SVT lost both allocated seats from the Ra constituency during the 1992 Fijian general election . The SVT then traditionally approached the four main traditional chiefs from Ra and endorsed Dr Ratu Wilisoni Tuiketei Malani , the Turaga Gonesau from Nakorotubu , to be the party's sole candidate in the Ra Province constituency during the Fiji election of 1994 . At the age of 74, Dr Ratu Malani became

1260-485: The 2000 coup and compensation to its victims. Rabuka endorsed the proposal, as did executive member Militoni Leweniqila , but Ema Druavesi , General Secretary of the SVT, spoke out against it, calling it a political ploy to retain the support of the Conservative Alliance-Matanitu Vanua (CAMV), on whose six parliamentary votes the government depended for its majority. She also expressed concern that

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1320-460: The 2006 election for the SVT. The Fiji Sun reported on 2 March that party officials had met the previous weekend and had decided to continue working as part of the Grand Coalition. The party would not disband or merge with another party, and would retain its identity, Druavesi said. This was because the party was an original one, not a breakaway from another party. The party won no seats at

1380-546: The 2020s. Fares for passengers aged 18 and younger have been free on most local and inter-city transit systems in the state since September 2022. The program was part of a larger statewide transportation package and also includes inter-city Amtrak trains operated by the state, as well as the Washington State Ferries system. Local zero-fare shuttles or inner-city loops are far more common than citywide systems. They often use buses or trams . These may be set up by

1440-672: The British". During the colonial era, meetings of the Great Council of Chiefs were held every year or two, "with rich ceremonial protocol", and chaired by the British governor. Council members advised the governor with regards to policy on indigenous affairs, and, until 1963, selected indigenous representatives for the colonial Parliament. Among its nominees to Parliament in the 1950s and early 1960s were Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna , Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara , Ratu George Cakobau , Ratu Edward Cakobau and Ratu Penaia Ganilau , who were to ascend to positions of leadership in government. In 1963, this function of

1500-480: The Constitution, although nothing in the Constitution required it to do so. 12. Great Council of Chiefs – A Colonial Legacy Created to Protect The Supremacy of Bau | url= http://fijisun.com.fj/2015/09/29/the-politics-of-fiji-a-way-forward-for-itaukei-people/ Free public transport Free public transport , often called fare-free public transit or zero-fare public transport , is public transport which

1560-488: The Council decided to abolish the right of elected parliamentarians to hold ex officio council membership, and to reduce the number of government appointees. Except for the life member, all members served four-year terms. The Council also recognised Elizabeth II , former Queen of Fiji , as Paramount Chief , but she was not formally a member of the Council. In the 2013 Constitution, there has not been any role assigned to

1620-577: The Council of having "become politicised to the detriment of Fiji's pursuit of a common and equal citizenry". The 2022 Fijian general election saw Fiji elect a hung parliament . Four parties won seats in the Fijian Parliament : the governing FijiFirst party of then- Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama , the new People's Alliance party of former prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka , the National Federation Party (NFP) of Biman Prasad and

1680-405: The Council was abolished as indigenous Fijians obtained the right to elect their representatives to Parliament. In the 1950s, the Council ceased to be reserved for chiefs; its "membership [...] was broadened to allow representation of trade unions and other urban organizations". All members remained indigenous, however. Fiji's first Constitution, adopted upon independence in 1970, gave the Council

1740-524: The Council would return and hold its first meeting in May 2023. The reconstitution ceremony took place on the island of Bau on May 24, 2023. National champion Ratu Banuve Tabakaucoro received the honour in welcoming the state president and prime minister with the ceremonial offering of kava . Ratu Viliame Seruvakula was elected as its chairman in 2024. The Great Council had most recently consisted of 55 members, mainly hereditary chiefs along with some specially qualified commoners. The composition

1800-449: The Council. As chairman, he would appoint all other members, acting on the recommendation of the provincial councils, and would have the authority to discipline, suspend, or dismiss any member. The interim government asked provinces to submit nominees for the Great Council of Chiefs by 15 July 2008. If certain provinces did not provide nominees, Bainimarama would name GCC members to represent those provinces himself. On 5 August 2008, it

1860-468: The GCC, the powerful Methodist Church also endorsed the party. Major General Sitiveni Rabuka , who had led the 1987 coups, joined the new party also, along with his supporters, and he soon outmaneuvered Ro Lala for the leadership; and her family subsequently distanced themselves from the party. The SVT won the 1992 Fijian general election , but the subsequent defection of six parliamentarians left it without

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1920-420: The Great Council of Chiefs. According to the 1997 Constitution, the Great Council of Chiefs had two major powers: In addition to these constitutionally mandated functions, the Great Council of Chiefs had other roles that might from time to time be prescribed by law. In addition, it was considered almost compulsory for the government to consult and secure the approval of the Council before making major changes to

1980-548: The Great Council, now the interim president of the National Alliance Party , said that he believed that the powers of the Council were already sufficient. In a controversial move, the Great Council decided on 28 July 2005 to endorse the government's Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill , which aimed to establish a commission empowered to compensate victims and pardon perpetrators of the 2000 coup. Opponents, including former Great Council chairman Ganilau, said that it

2040-420: The House (37 indigenous Fijians, 27 Indo-Fijians , 1 Rotuman and 5 General Electors (Europeans, Chinese, Banaban Islanders and other minorities)). The end to multiracial voting resulted in a trend towards intracommunal politics, and multiracial parties like the old Alliance Party of longtime Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara were therefore dissolved and replaced by parties representing principally

2100-534: The SDL, and on 25 November Prime Minister Qarase confirmed that his own party would definitely be working with the SVT in the forthcoming election. He expected that one expression of cooperation between the SDL and the SVT, as members of the Grand Coalition, would be to exchange electoral preferences between themselves before going outside the group. Under Fiji's voting system , votes cast for low-polling candidates may be transferred to higher-polling candidates as agreed prior to

2160-485: The SVT found itself fending off allegations relating to the 2000 coup. In interviews with the Fiji Sun , a daily newspaper, Josaia Waqabaca and Maciu Navakasuasua (who served a three-year prison term for coup-related offences) implicated some senior members of the SVT in the planning of the coup. Druavesi strongly denied that the party had been involved in any way whatsoever, and that if any SVT officials had participated in

2220-461: The Senate's 34 members, making the Senate a GCC-dominated body. The Council would also, henceforth, appoint the president of Fiji and the vice-president . The 1997 Constitution reduced its representation in the Senate to 14 members (out of 32), but recognised its right to name President and vice-president. From the late 1980s onwards, the Great Council of Chiefs was compromised by manipulation from

2280-404: The aggression is related to refusal to pay the fare. Some zero-fare transport services are funded by private businesses, such as the merchants in a shopping mall , in the hope that doing so will increase sales or other revenue from increased foot traffic or ease of travel. Employers often operate free shuttles as a benefit to their employees, or as part of a congestion mitigation agreement with

2340-481: The benefit of indigenous Fijians had benefited only a few people with family or business ties to government leaders, she said. "Top posts and lucrative contracts were awarded to people who support the party," she alleged. Druavesi said she believed that the Fijian people, disappointed by the SDL-CAMV coalition, would return to the SVT in the 2006 election. Druavesi's attacks notwithstanding, Rabuka pursued negotiations with

2400-401: The bill interfered with the judicial system. Leweniqila, however, said that not only was the proposal nothing new, it was in fact one that Rabuka, on behalf of the SVT, had proposed as long ago as 2002. He added, however, that acknowledging the government of deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry as the lawful government of the land would be the right place to start. Towards the end of 2005,

2460-571: The early 1990s), and declared its intention to eschew party politics in the future, although individual members of the Council would, of course, remain free to participate in politics as individuals. In June 2004, the Great Council of Chiefs was plunged into crisis when the government decided not to reappoint Ratu Epeli Ganilau as one of its six representatives on the Great Council; the Cakaudrove Provincial Council did not give him one of their three seats either. These decisions had

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2520-404: The effect of prematurely ending Ganilau's term as Chairman of the Council, as its regulations require the chairman to be a member. It is thought that Ganilau's open disagreement with several senior government figures, including Vice-President Ratu Jope Seniloli and Information Minister Simione Kaitani , along with fears that he was undermining the neutrality of the Great Council to use it as

2580-500: The election. Druavesi said on 23 February 2006 that the door was open for former members of the CAMV, which had been dissolved on 18 February, to join the SVT. Not all CAMV members had supported the merger of their party with the SDL, she told the Fiji Village news service. She also revealed that the party had received more than a hundred written applications from persons willing to contest

2640-569: The first country in the world to make all public transport in the country (buses, trams, and trains) free to use. On 1 October 2022, Malta made its public transport free on most routes, though unlike in Luxembourg, this applies only to residents. As some transit lines intended to operate with fares initially start service, the organisation may elect not to collect fares for an introductory period to create interest or to test operations. Several mid-size European cities and many smaller towns around

2700-494: The goal of enticing drivers to take transit instead of driving is not necessarily met: because fare-free systems tend to attract a certain number of "problem riders", zero-fare systems may have the unintended effect of convincing some 'premium' riders to go back to driving their cars. It should be kept in mind that this was a study that only looked at U.S. cities, and the author's conclusions may be less applicable in other countries that have better social safety nets and less crime than

2760-459: The government. Following the coup of 2000, however, it worked, with mixed success, to regain its independence. In 2001, it dismissed 1987 coup leader and former prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka from the chairmanship , in the midst of allegations about his possible involvement in the coup of 2000. It also cut its former ties with the Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei (which it originally sponsored in

2820-573: The large U.S. cities studied. Fare-free transit has been repeatedly demonstrated to increase ridership—especially during non-peak travel periods—and customer satisfaction. Several analyses have shown ridership increased by as much as 15% overall and about 45% during the off-peak periods. The effects on public transport operators included schedule adherence problems because of the increased ridership and more complaints about rowdiness from younger passengers, though obviously there were no more direct conflicts with passengers regarding fare collection. When

2880-403: The new National Alliance Party of Fiji , under the leadership of Ratu Epeli Ganilau . A rump of the SVT resisted the merger and continued to exist under the presidency of Rabuka. In May 2005, divisions appeared in the leadership of the party over the government's controversial proposal to establish a Reconciliation and Unity Commission with the power to recommend amnesty to perpetrators of

2940-539: The number of vehicles being driven which results in decreasing carbon emissions. Cars are also responsible for emitting other pollutants such as antifreeze. Several large U.S. municipalities have attempted zero-fare systems, but many of these implementations have been judged unsuccessful by policy makers. A 2002 National Center for Transportation Research report suggests that, while transit ridership does tend to increase, there are also some disadvantages: This U.S. report suggests that, while ridership does increase overall,

3000-546: The oldest member to be elected to the House of Representatives of Fiji in the 1994 election, with Ratu Mesake Nacola, as an independent candidate, winning the second seat. Allegations of corruption eroded the popularity of the SVT-led government, which was heavily defeated in the 1999 Fijian general election by the People's Coalition , with the SVT taking just 8 of the 71 seats in the House of Representatives. Rabuka quit as leader of

3060-534: The parking lot, and across the street to its hotel as well as the bus stop for Orange County and Los Angeles local transit buses. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California , provides tram service throughout its parking lot. In July 2017, Dubai announced it would offer free bus services for a short period of time on selected days. In the northwestern United States , some tribal governments offer free bus service on their respective reservations, including on

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3120-544: The party, and was followed by several short-lived leaders. Following the 2000 Fijian coup d'état , Taufa Vakatale resigned as president of the SVT and former Foreign Minister Filipe Bole assumed leadership of the party. It contested the election held to restore democracy in 2001 on a platform of supporting the 1997 constitution with amendments, free public transport for school children, an increase in government spending to alleviate poverty, and promotion of community initiatives to end domestic violence. It also called for

3180-415: The plot, they must have done so as individuals, not as representatives of the party. She called on the police to interrogate those identified by Waqabaca and Navakasuasua, however, to determine the truth of the allegations. On 26 June 2005, Druavesi made a stinging attack on the ruling Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL), accusing it of racism, corruption, and incompetence. Policies enacted supposedly for

3240-464: The point of use, just as the use of a bridge might have been. Machinery installed within a building or shopping centre can be seen as 'zero-fare transport': elevators , escalators and moving sidewalks are often provided by property owners and funded through the sales of goods and services. Community bicycle programs , providing free bicycles for short-term public use could be thought of as zero-fare transport. A common example of zero-fare transport

3300-475: The right to nominate eight of the twenty-two members of the Senate . Following the 1987 military coup conducted by Sitiveni Rabuka , the Council reverted to being an exclusively aristocratic body, its membership reserved to high chiefs. Rabuka argued that hereditary chiefs should retain paramount decision-making power. The 1990 Constitution thus enhanced the Council's power. It was now authorised to appoint 24 of

3360-507: The two bodies overlapped to a considerable extent. The Great Council of Chiefs in its most recent form was established under Section 116 of the now-defunct 1997 Constitution , but it actually predated the Constitution by many years, having been established by the British colonial rulers as an advisory body in 1876, two years after Fiji was ceded to the United Kingdom. The current chairperson

3420-547: The world have converted their public transportation networks to zero-fare. The city of Hasselt in Belgium is a notable example: fares were abolished in 1997 and ridership was as much as "13 times higher" by 2006. Tallinn , the capital city of Estonia with more than 420,000 inhabitants, switched to free public transport in 2013 after a public vote. In the U.S. state of Washington , 14 rural transit systems have adopted zero-fare policies, either permanently or through pilots in

3480-521: Was announced that the Great Council of Chiefs was ready to reconvene. It would be composed of three chiefs from each of the fourteen provinces, and would be chaired by the Minister for Fijian Affairs, who at that time was Commodore Bainimarama. On 14 March 2012, Bainimarama announced that President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau had "approved decrees that formally de-establish the Great Council of the Chiefs". He accused

3540-470: Was as follows: These arrangements came into being on 9 June 1990. Previously, 22 parliamentarians holding seats allocated to indigenous Fijians held membership ex officio in the Great Council of Chiefs, along with 2 or 3 representatives from each of the 14 provincial councils. In addition, there were 8 chiefs and 7 commoners chosen by the Minister for Fijian Affairs . Following two military coups in 1987,

3600-460: Was just a legal device to free government supporters who had been convicted and imprisoned on coup-related charges. The Council was suspended in April 2007 by Commodore Frank Bainimarama , author of the December 2006 military coup . It was not, however, abolished. In February 2008, the interim government announced that Bainimarama, as Minister for Indigenous Affairs, was appointing himself chairman of

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