When its time to change, its time to change.....
Kiga kaliga.....change those bloody LHD as soon as possible....

L.P

Thank you Mr Sioa - excellent take on this RHD mess...
Unlike Mr Hood and his band of RH-sided-brain followers, your comments are right on target !!!

I love your editorial analysis - it's fair and balanced. Hopefully, someone is listening (as in PM) It's so easy to verbally commit to RHD change, but where's the money coming from to support the changeover? What about the transportation infrastructure? More RHD on the road, more congestion build up = more accidents and road rage. Instead of changing to RHD, why not use the money for education and other sustainable needs that the families really require?

I guess its pple that give in to what the govt wants that make samoa a worse place to live in.

I would've used Zimbabwe Mugabe.

And based on Lemi Patu critical and outstanding rebuttal to the article, I am now convinced of the benefits of RHD.

How does more RHD cars on the road equate to more traffic build-up and congestion? What a silly thing to say by Ella Campbell.

Sio Pioa, we do not know overseas opinion on this matter. The poll on this website certainly doesn't give us a clear picture. It can be accessed by people from within Samoa and outside Samoa. People can also vote twice, three, four, however many times they want if they have enough time on their hands. Therefore the poll is not a legitimate indication of anything except a nice thing for people to play on when they come onto this website.

I find the arguments provided by the Prime Minister are valid. Cheaper cars help the poor in the rural areas because most Samoans have relatives in NZ and Aust (RHD countries). Most Samoans go to NZ and Aust rather than the US because of our obvious connections in the past but also because it is just too damn hard to migrate to the US, through Am. Samoa. Economically, most tourists come from those countries because Air NZ and Poly blue are the two major carriers; tourism is the fastest growing sector in the economy; the other huge sector is the remittances from overseas, especially from Samoans in NZ and Aust. If rental car dealers lose money for a while, I don't see how they'll keep losing money. Tourists won't stop coming to the country because of the change to RHD. In fact, changing to RHD makes it easier for tourists from Aust and NZ (the majority of our tourism market).

It comes as no surprise that the answers can be classed as 'political'. He is, after all, a politician at the head of a party which relies on the rural areas for support. Any party that makes govt does. It certainly needs some numbers and figures to be added to it, but that is not the job of the Prime Minister per se. It is the job of the MOF. The meat is there, we just need the bones to give the arguments strength.

Heres a breakdown of your (and the PM and cronies) silly arguments.
Ella Campbell raised a valid point, being that more cars on the road equals congestion... what did you expect with this new RHD rule favoring the masses(?) less cars on the road? You are off to a bad start JM, but maybe this is indicative of the stupidity of the pro-RHD arguments.

And about the poll results, it matters not. Your insinuations of multiple votes imply that you have voted yes numerous times, yes it's a flaw but much like a lamp post to a drunk, you rely on it for support, not illumination.

Once again, the poor is pawned off to prop up this ridiculous argument. If the NZ relatives are rich enough to afford a RHD for their poor relatives here, they are rich enough to send money over for them to buy a LHD car. This policy is not a magic bullet that will enable every poor farmer in the wopwops to own a pickup. Really, I would bet that they wont own one come the changeover because, genius, pickups aren't cheap or a staple item on the NZ car industry. Samoa will be flooded with cheap rejects from NZ and AUS because new cars and pickups arent in the price range of most Samoans there, or everyone else for that matter.

So it's political because he is a politician relying on rural areas for support, support against what? there is virtually no opposition so the vote grab is you allege to is simply hot air. This 'meat' you talk of is synonymous to you seeing the emperors new clothes, theres no need to add bones to it if its not there.

The argument that we shouldn't switch to RHD because the poor masses will get too easy an access to vehicles to crowd the roads is elitest. It implies that the government is only here to service the rich people who can afford the exhorbitant rip-off prices of vehicles currently on the market in Samoa. It also implies that the roads are specifically there for the use of the rich; all the peasants can use the buses. What a ridiculous argument. If the roads are congested due to more vehicles, widen the damn roads!

If NZ relatives are rich enough to afford RHD they are rich enough to afford LHDs? Another ridiculous argument. Are NZ relatives supposed to order LHDs from the United States are they? Given the currency differences and the extra costs of shipping, it is defies belief you would even think it is just as easy to buy LHDs. Cars are significantly cheaper in NZ. Even the late model ones post 1998. It is a red herring to suggest that because of easier access to parallel imports from Japan that second-hands will flood the market in Samoa. Late model cars are cheaper here than the rip-off prices they have in Samoa at present for those LHD.

The HRPP relies on rural support at election time. Most of the seats are situated in non-Apia (ie: rural) areas. It goes without saying that the government caters to the rural (majority) of the population.

Whether I agree or not with your opinion is a non issue. Your opinion is your God given freedom of expression and as a journalist I need not explain my position in that respect. But I do take exception, very strongly too, when you spell my name wrong. I would grant you the benefit of the doubt and accept it as a typing error. Better than to think you are taking all of this personal when my name is clearly there for your eyes to see.

Expect more Japanese cheap trash vehiclels from NZ and Australia. Most vehicles from those countries send by families dont' last more than 3-4 yrs. Its easy to dump those vehicles to Samoa than to deal with the headaches of getting rid off.
The PM and his followers better figure out a way to buy a big Ship to ship all the metals from those trash vehicle overseas as recycles or start building a recycle plant which is another issue.

So now it's elitist to oppose the RHD change because we dont want the poor to own cars?... where did you read this from? Sole, address the arguments as they are presented not what you want to read from them.

Also who said anything about NZ and OZ relatives to import cars from the US? Newsflash! we sell cars here too, and affordable for a NZ budget. Ok enough talk... how about some provisional proof.
http://www.autonet.co.nz/bin/dealers.dll?site=autonet&Code=UTCI,01&vehicles=y
Those are nice prices for 2nd hand pickups. Convert them to Samoan Tala plus all the related costs of getting them over and we are looking at a nice plum sum of 50,000Tala each... or probably more since car salesmen arent champions of the poor like our deluded idealists we have here. Simple solution, send that money over for your relatives to buy cars here and leave the LHD rules intact.

Japan will be an excellent source of second-hand vehicles. In japan after 5 or 6 years, the laws make it cheaper to buy a new vehicle than to own one over this age. The roads are good meaning the shocks/suspension/mechanicals has still got about 90% of their lifespan, regularly maintained with genuine/proper parts and priced between 1-5 thousand USD...depending whether you want a little sedan or a Toyota Prado?? These are not trash but a sensible buy if use it on the plantation and family. If one buys from the NZ/Aust market, it will be trash.

"I guess its pple that give in to what the govt wants that make samoa a worse place to live in."

How long since your last visit to Samoa Mr/Mrs Concerned? Coz I can send you any data you need from the Samoa Samoans....

Apologies to Pio Sioa for the mis-spelling of his name. It was not intentional. I didn't look at your name long enough as I was concentrating on your arguments.

GC, the link you put up was from a car dealership in Tauranga. You know and I know that most Samoans live in West and South Auckland. A brief glance at the local Samoan newspapers will reveal a myriad of car dealerships catering to the Samoan community here. The prices are generally cheaper than what you have up there, but even if those prices from Tauranga hold true across the NZ market, it is still a better deal than what you'd get in Samoa. I was talking with a car rental owner from Samoa two days ago. He was in NZ to look at RHD vehicles and compared the price of a Daihatsu Terios brand new. The Samoan price was $62,000 whilst the NZ price was $24,000 [converted to ST on the current exchange rate, it comes to $48,423]. Even if we take your $50,000 total import costs exclusive price, it is still a fairly large saving on tala. It is just his opinion that it is easier and cheaper to get vehicles from NZ and Australia than the United States.

Prices vary and people are not going to go to the most expensive dealer or to Tauranga to get their vehicles. Some more vehicles for sale: http://www.enterprisecars.co.n..._specials/

A brief glance also to the Samoa Times newspaper and the Samoa Observer NZ paper reveals prices of Utility vehicles and 4WDs to be reasonable. A 1997 Land Rover Discovery at $7,995 [$16,130 Tala]; A 2000 Chevrolet Blazer LT at $10,995 [$22,183.80 tala]; A 2000 Nissan Terrano at $16,995 [$34,289 tala]; A 2004 Nissan Xtrail ST at $19,995 [$40,342 tala].

The argument that there would be more congestion on the road because more vehicles will be driven on them is a concession on your part. You concede that RHDs will be cheaper and therefore more affordable to the masses. However, you are arguing that the result will be an increase in vehicles on the road congesting the roads. It is a silly argument. The obvious answer is to widen the roads. Not to keep vehicles at current prices, and therefore keep them out of the reach of most people. It is an infrastructure issue.

The argument that the Samoa Observer bandied about that vehicles perpetuated the dependency syndrome is also misleading. A utility vehicle is a way for people to improve their capacity at developing their lands (so the govt argument goes). It facilitates self-reliance. It is misleading to say that it facilitates dependency. The user of the vehicle still has to maintain the vehicle and the ongoing costs of fuel and upkeep. If we use the man and fish analogy, the sending of the vehicle from overseas is similar to giving the man a fishing rod. He already knows how to fish. He just can't afford the fishing rods currently on sale in Samoa. What the samoa observer is saying is that it amounts to giving him the fish, which is totally misleading.

Right on JM... with your superb take on the issue in your latest reply, I expect every poor person in the country to drive in a workforce "ute" come this time next year, stacked high with produce to barter outside the Fugalei market (it's not going to be big enough, even now). With our nice widened roads and dirt cheap cars and fuel this utopian vision will finally come of age and everyone will finally savor the taste of this filet mignon you like talking about.

Ahh bliss.

Not quite. However, it is a start. The government should do a whole lot more to stimulate the agricultural sector, not just change to RHDs.

However, since all LHD vehicles will still be allowed to be driven on the roads until they putter out and die, please explain to me how the economy is going to collapse when the change comes? The biggest sectors in the economy at the moment are tourism and remittances from overseas (especially NZ and Australia). When Samoans move to NZ, they don't habitually drive on the wrong side of the road do they? The biggest problem is driving without licences, drink and drive, and driving whilst disqualified. Not driving on the wrong side of the road due to habits of a lifetime.

Sweden drove 200 years on the left, then one day, in 1969 (admittedly after a four year lead-in), they switched over to the right. Remarkably, all the RHDs still allowed to be driven on the roads, the economy didn't collapse, and nobody got killed. This is a country with millions more people than Samoa with a much bigger economy.

You said it yourself JM. The Swedes had 4 years to prepare for the change. And they were changing to the Right side of the road with people already driving the LHD vehicles! Which is everything we're not doing.
We are switching to the Left side of the road and expect to do so smoothly in a matter of months?? Sure no one got killed in Sweden!!

Well with all these brilliant speculations aside, lets go with some hard facts. I am more likely to believe a study done with real numbers by the Chamber of Commerce business community than some glossy and
non-substantiated response from the government.

Yes that is one point which I agree with. Perhaps another year's grace for the nation to get ready, and business owners to explore contracts in RHD countries. Albeit, Sweden needed four years because it has so much more mileage of roads and roadsigns to change and so many more cars on the road than Samoa. Safety concerns are valid but then again, most Samoans immigrate to NZ and Aust and they don't seem to have problems with RHDs after growing up all their lives driving on the right in Samoa.

Sweden also has a much larger economy than Samoa, but their economy did not collapse or go into recession. Samoa's largest sectors are tourism and remittances. Both those sectors are not going to die because of the change to RHDs. Actually, I'm pretty certain they'll be given a huge boost given the structural links of those sectors to RHD countries. Most tourists come from NZ and Australia because Polyblue and AirNZ are the two major carriers to Samoa. A huge chunk of remittances come from NZ and Aust.

Sweden changed to driving on the right (LHD's) coz nearly all of the cars were already LHD, even swedish automakers produced mostly LHD. There was a high number of accidents in sweden due to the majority driving LHD on RHD roads. The switch in sweden was long overdue and made total sense.
Here's a link from time.com:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,941144,00.html
there's also plenty of info on wikipedia regarding this.
As to why their economy didn't collapse - well duh - you said it yourself - it's much bigger. Not to mention it doesn't need to rely on Aid and remittances.

I do agree with the fact that the 2nd hand market in samoa isn't too competitive but i would have given it another year or 2 at least. With the leasing option being more widely used now, a lot of cars will be entering that 2nd hand market within a year. Also with the rental companies being quite competitive, their cars will also enter that market after a certain number of years. Not to mention all those new taxi's. Government could also
make the 2nd hand market more competitive by selling off it's vehicles every so often instead of waiting until they are written off.

If govt. really does want to proceed with this, it should be phased in slowly. Re-allow RHD's for private families and once the number of RHD's on the road become the majority, or close to it, implement the switch. I was really impressed with govt. foresight in initially banning RHD's and implementing the 8yr rule - sad to see that being reversed. But this seems like the best compromise.