Cross Is.Road A Cross To Bear

Written by Pio Sioa
Friday, 27 June 2008
The road accident that killed three people at the Tiavi Cross Island Road is a tragedy that was and is always waiting to happen on our roads. It lurks like an evil premonition that prey on drivers negligence and disregard for safety. The Tiavi Cross island road wind its way over the mountain from Apia onto to the other side of the island and it is not a particularly easy road to drive on. Drivers negotiating the sharp twists and turns on the way up the hill or while holding down the break pedal on the steep decline have to be extra careful and on the alert always. The sections where the road narrows down or drivers view obstructed by tall cattle grass or ground rise can be pretty hairy driving at times…especially for passing cars. Bigger vehicles like buses and trucks in particular are more prone to accidents, especially when steaming uphill/downhill with full loads. A simple slip up and the weight of the load on the back of the truck or passengers in a bus, can easily spun it out of control. This was reportedly the case last Saturday. The official word from the police after talking to the survivors, blamed the cause of the fatal accident on speeding. This was as the bus was leveling off from a downhill roll of the most steepest part of the hill. It was while passing another bus gearing up for the uphill drive that the tragic sequence of events occurred. One shudders to imagine what the passengers went through as the bus tyres slipped off the hard tar seal and caught on the soft gravel. The down hill momentum and the driver’s momentary loss of control spun the bus into a roll and in a split second we have a tragedy. We can only sympathize with the family of the victims for their loss. We have had some serious accidents before where lives were lost on this road. The one on Saturday has to be right up there on the top of the worst list. What has to be even more frightening, now that the accident has caught public attention, is that the risk of more accidents is increasing every year. Traffic on the Tiavi Cross Island road is getting bigger and busier every year as newer holiday attractions on the other side of the island draws out the urban dwellers and our tourist visitors, to relax and enjoy. More and more people are also buying up land properties and moving in to settle, noticeably from Vailima all the way up to the Tiavi flat land. Clean air, cooler temperatures and million dollar views are rapidly replacing plantations with modern houses for people who prefer to live away from town. The cross island road has the seal of approval of the Ministry of Transport for the use of public vehicles. But 20 years has come to pass since the safety of the road was endorsed and a lot has changed in two decades. Maybe it is time to re-evaluate the safety issues of the road. We mourn the loss of our own, but what if this was a bus load of tourists? How will the added emotions of the loss of people who are in the country as our guests, impact on Samoa’s budding tourism industry and winning reputation as a safe destination? We hosted 2 thousand arrivals from the Pacific Dawn Cruise ship last weekend. who were bussed around the sights and scenes of the country. In fact, the second bus that went past before the accident occurred was reportedly carrying tourists, making their way back into Apia after a sightseeing tour. Imagine the international reaction if this was the bus that rolled over. A major hotel is poised to start construction at Aleipata. Hundreds of holidaying tourists will be coming over once that is done, so with the added road travel more pressure will be put on road safety. What one finds depressing about the whole situation is that it took a tragic accident to bring it closer to the public attention. Surely we can do better! Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Title Comment

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