KEY POINTS:
A proposal to get drivers in Samoa to switch to driving on the left-hand side has crashed into public opinion, which has come out strongly against the move.
The Samoan Government has ordered up draft legislation for making the change, which the Transport Control Board would like to see in place by next July.
Samoans drive on the right-hand side of the road in a throwback to German colonisation of the country previously known as Western Samoa.
It means that left-hand-drive cars must be imported which the Government says is proving too expensive.
Samoan relatives in New Zealand and Australia are legally prevented from sending right-hand-drive cars back to their home country.
Alan Ah Mu, associate editor of the Samoan Observer, told the Herald yesterday that since the paper ran a story on the issue about three weeks ago, it had been inundated with letters against the proposed change.
"We are getting letters every day, mostly critical."
Mr Ah Mu said residents were asking why the change was necessary given its "sheer inconvenience" and problems with a drop in value of their cars and the potential difficulty of sourcing new parts.
He said car rental firms would be worst hit and were against the move.
Car dealers were also unconvinced, saying it was not correct that right-hand-drive imports were more expensive as they could source vehicles relatively easily from Japan and Korea.
Mr Ah Mu said there was a safety aspect to the proposed change as relatives or visitors from New Zealand and Australia would not have to concentrate on driving on the opposite side of the road from which they were used to.
Last week sectors of the business community called for public demonstrations against the change and the Chamber of Commerce is preparing to make submissions on the issue.
Car dealers were reported to have had orders of cars cancelled as locals worried about what could happen.
Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi had indicated the necessary legislation could be tabled in the next session of Parliament.
He had said that while there would be difficulties, they would be outweighed by advantages and it should not take long for people to adjust to driving on the other side of the road.
Tino Pereira, a Wellington-based Samoan, said he welcomed the proposal as he made four or five trips to Samoa each year but still found it hard to always remember to drive on the other side of the road.
Mr Pereira said he nearly caused a serious accident with a truck last year after slipping over to the wrong side. Many Samoans visited from New Zealand and Australia and road accidents and injuries were costly to Pacific nations.
Mr Pereira said there were also many Samoans returning to live in their home country and they would like to be able to take their cars with them.
He said there would be savings for motorists in Samoa as many at present drove large and expensive four-wheel-drive vehicles imported from the United States which were gas-guzzlers.
Sonny Ah Kui, owner of car rental company Funway Rentals, said there were not many accidents from tourists driving on the wrong side of the road.
Mr Ah Kui said the change would leave him with vehicles no one would want to buy.
Left or right?
* New Zealand, Australia, India, Hong Kong are among Commonwealth countries driving on the left-hand side of the road.
* Others, including Canada, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and the United States switched to the right-hand side.
* Apart from former British colonies, most countries' traffic now moves on the right-hand side. Exceptions are Indonesia, Suriname, Japan, Thailand, Mozambique, East Timor, Macau, and the US Virgin Islands.
