Transport in Samoa
Encyclopedia
Transport in Samoa includes one international airport situated on the north west coast of Upolu
island, paved highways reaching most parts of the two main, one main port in the capital Apia and two ports servicing mainly inter island ferries for vehicles and passengers between the two main islands, Upolu and Savai'i
.
s:
(2001 est.)
total: 866 km (538 mi)
paved: 350 km (217 mi)
unpaved: 516 km (321 mi)
s:
s:
3 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways:
total:
2
2,438 to 3,047m (8,000 to 10,000 ft):
1 (Apia Faleolo International Airport
, IATA airport code
APW)
under 914m (3,000 ft):
1 (2005)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total:
1
was a German
colony until occupied by New Zealand
at the beginning of the First World War, until September 2009 it maintained the German practice of driving on the right-hand side of the road. This practice had been in place for more than a century. The plan was first announced by the Samoan government in September 2007 and was confirmed on 18 April 2008 when Samoa's parliament passed the Road Transport Reform Act 2008. On 24 July 2008 Tuisugaletaua Avea, the Minister of Transport, announced that the switch would come into effect at 6:00 am on Monday, 7 September 2009. He also announced that the 7 and 8 September 2009 would be public holidays, so that residents would be able to familiarise themselves with the new rules of the road. Samoa thus become the first territory in nearly 40 years to change which side of the road is driven on, the most recent to change being Nigeria
, Ghana
and Yemen
.
A new political party, the People's Party, had formed to try to block the change but was unsuccessful as was the People Against Switching Sides protest group which launched a last minute legal challenge against the decision. The decision was controversial with an estimated 18,000 people attending demonstrations against it in Apia in April 2008 and road signs reminding people of the change were vandalised. The motor industry was also opposed to the decision as 14,000 of Samoa's 18,000 vehicles were designed for right-hand driving and the government refused to meet the cost of conversion. Bus drivers whose doors would be on the wrong side of the road due to the change threatened to strike in protest of the change.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi
said that the purpose of adopting left-hand traffic was to allow Samoans to use cheaper RHD vehicles sourced from Australia, New Zealand or Japan, and so that the large number of Samoans living in Australasia can drive on the same side of the road when they visit their country of origin. He aimed to reduce reliance on expensive, left-hand drive imports from America. In order to reduce accidents the government widened roads, added new road markings, erected signs and installed speed humps. The speed limit was also reduced from 35 mph (56 km/h) to 25 mph (40 km/h) and sales of alcohol banned for three days. Prayers were said by the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa for an accident-free changeover and Samoa's Red Cross carried out a blood donation campaign in case of a surge of accidents.
The change came into force following a radio announcement at 5.50 local time (16.50 GMT) which halted traffic and an announcement at 6.00 (15.00 GMT) for traffic to switch from the right to the left side of the road.
Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...
island, paved highways reaching most parts of the two main, one main port in the capital Apia and two ports servicing mainly inter island ferries for vehicles and passengers between the two main islands, Upolu and Savai'i
Savai'i
Savaii is the largest and highest island in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is also the biggest landmass in Polynesia outside Hawaii and New Zealand. The island of Savai'i is also referred to by Samoans as Salafai, a classical Samoan term used in oratory and prose...
.
Highways
HighwayHighway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
s:
(2001 est.)
total: 866 km (538 mi)
paved: 350 km (217 mi)
unpaved: 516 km (321 mi)
Ports and Harbours
Ports and harborHarbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
s:
- ApiaApia, Samoa-Administration:Apia is part of the Tuamasaga political district and of election district Vaimauga West and Faleata East. There is no city administration for Apia. Apia consists of some 45 individual, independent villages...
- AsauAsau, SamoaAsau is situated on the north west coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. It is the capital village of the Vaisigano political district and serves as the main business centre at the west end of the island....
- Small wharf situated on the north west coast of Savai'i island which is seldom used commercially. - MulifanuaMulifanuaMulifanua is a village on the north-western tip of the island of Upolu, in Samoa. In the modern era, it is the capital of Aiga-i-le-Tai district...
- The main ferry terminal on Upolu island for passenger, cargo and vehicles to Savai'i island. - SalelologaSalelologaSalelologa is a village district at the east end of Savai'i island in Samoa. It is the main entry point into the island with the only ferry terminal on Savai'i...
- The only ferry terminal on Savai'i island and the main entry point onto the island.
Airports
AirportAirport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s:
3 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways:
total:
2
2,438 to 3,047m (8,000 to 10,000 ft):
1 (Apia Faleolo International Airport
Faleolo International Airport
Faleolo International Airport is an airport located west of Apia, the capital of Samoa.Until 1984, Faleolo could not accommodate jets larger than a Boeing 737...
, IATA airport code
IATA airport code
An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
APW)
under 914m (3,000 ft):
1 (2005)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total:
1
Change from right-hand to left-hand traffic
SamoaSamoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
colony until occupied by New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
at the beginning of the First World War, until September 2009 it maintained the German practice of driving on the right-hand side of the road. This practice had been in place for more than a century. The plan was first announced by the Samoan government in September 2007 and was confirmed on 18 April 2008 when Samoa's parliament passed the Road Transport Reform Act 2008. On 24 July 2008 Tuisugaletaua Avea, the Minister of Transport, announced that the switch would come into effect at 6:00 am on Monday, 7 September 2009. He also announced that the 7 and 8 September 2009 would be public holidays, so that residents would be able to familiarise themselves with the new rules of the road. Samoa thus become the first territory in nearly 40 years to change which side of the road is driven on, the most recent to change being Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
.
A new political party, the People's Party, had formed to try to block the change but was unsuccessful as was the People Against Switching Sides protest group which launched a last minute legal challenge against the decision. The decision was controversial with an estimated 18,000 people attending demonstrations against it in Apia in April 2008 and road signs reminding people of the change were vandalised. The motor industry was also opposed to the decision as 14,000 of Samoa's 18,000 vehicles were designed for right-hand driving and the government refused to meet the cost of conversion. Bus drivers whose doors would be on the wrong side of the road due to the change threatened to strike in protest of the change.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi
Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi
Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi is a Samoan politician who has been Prime Minister of Samoa since 1998.-Biography:Born at Lepa, Samoa, Malielegaoi is an economist by profession...
said that the purpose of adopting left-hand traffic was to allow Samoans to use cheaper RHD vehicles sourced from Australia, New Zealand or Japan, and so that the large number of Samoans living in Australasia can drive on the same side of the road when they visit their country of origin. He aimed to reduce reliance on expensive, left-hand drive imports from America. In order to reduce accidents the government widened roads, added new road markings, erected signs and installed speed humps. The speed limit was also reduced from 35 mph (56 km/h) to 25 mph (40 km/h) and sales of alcohol banned for three days. Prayers were said by the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa for an accident-free changeover and Samoa's Red Cross carried out a blood donation campaign in case of a surge of accidents.
The change came into force following a radio announcement at 5.50 local time (16.50 GMT) which halted traffic and an announcement at 6.00 (15.00 GMT) for traffic to switch from the right to the left side of the road.