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Source: ONE News -
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There are fears Samoa will drive into chaos on Tuesday when motorists switch to the left side of the road.
As well as safety concerns there's a threat of violence and concern that public transport will grind to a standstill, crippling the country.
Samoa is bracing for the change, but not everyone is happy about it and dozens of signs have been defaced with graffiti directed at the man driving the switch.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is adamant the timing is right, but enraged bus owners say he is wrong. Nanai Tawan has threatened to drive his fleet of buses to parliament and set them ablaze.
"We don't know what to do, we have no hope, no assets, we've got big loans," says Tawan.
ONE News understands only 20 buses across Samoa have been changed so they can continue to be used. Bus companies say it costs around $12,000 per bus to change the doors so people are not getting out in the middle of the road.
But the Minister of Transport says that is a very exaggerated figure.
"We have already had people who changed the side... they came up with the figure of $1,500," says Tuisugaletaua Aveau.
Around the country workers are frantically preparing the roads, turning around signs and painting arrows to remind the traffic which side of the road they should be on. But recent rain has held up the work and made the roads more slippery and dangerous than usual.
Those against the switch say the country is not ready. Dr Lefau Waiharemoana So'onalole from the group People against Switching Sides has been calling for a delay so "the government can finish everything it needs to do to make it safe".
But the government disagrees.
"I drove in the middle of London, the cars criss-crossing all the time, it took me three minutes and I knew how to manoeuvre," says Malielegaoi.
The question is will the rest of the country learn quickly
enough to avoid chaos.
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