11:48 PM |
Samoa will be changing the side of road people drive on that's from the right hand side of the road to the left. From the 7th of September people will drive right hand drive cars, a switch from left hand drive cars.
The proposal for change was the brainchild of Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi and is meant to be a cost saving exercise over the long term (access to right hand drive cars being easier than left hand drives). The move will also align Samoa with its other South Pacific neighbours, which are all right hand drive (excepting American and French territories).
The change though has caused some controversy and seen protests in the year lead up to the change. These protests have been propelled mostly by business interests in Samoa who have said they will lose money on the change over (with the expense of changing rental cars and buses).
But, another controversy has emerged in the rumour that controversial Pacific reporter Barbara Dreaver is traveling to Samoa to cover the change.
Dreaver made headlines in Samoa and throughout Pacific media when she controversially staged elements in a story made for New Zealand's One News.
Certain members of the Pacific media community have questioned Dreaver's approach to Pacific issues and if she is to make another story in Samoa JAWS (Samoan Journalist Association) may well ask; "What will this be and how will it be presented?"
The change over time in Samoa will be 0600, on the 7th September 2009.
Samoa will have a holiday on the 7th and 8th of September to get use to the change, a change many in Samoa have been concerned will cause accidents and god forbid death.
Malielegaoi though is confident the move will be made smoothly and has said in years to come people will see the sense of it all and will be congratulating him.
This marks a significant change in an Island nation of some near two hundred thousand people.
But 2009 also marks another significant change for Samoa, the change in the land tenure system. This change may in the end be much more significant than the change of the side of the road people drive on. A change which Samoans will be grappling with over years to come.
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