Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Bus owners in Samoa take strike action

Posted at 22:45 on 08 September, 2009 UTC

Bus owners in Samoa say they’ve been forced to take strike action after the government refused to pay them any compensation.

Samoa officially switched the side of the road people drive on from the right to the left yesterday.

But many buses now have the steering wheel and passenger entry door on the wrong side.

The treasurer of the bus society on Upolu, Leanapapa Laki, says it’s not good enough that the government won’t help pay for the changes to buses, the main mode of public transport.

He says they are joining forces with others from the island of Savaii during their strike, and plan to park many buses down at the market.

“The society from Savaii are coming over to support our strike here and they can us to have a meeting about the issue and to be united.”

Leanapapa Laki.