Samoa 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. A plan to drive on the left 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. [...]
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi says the purpose of adopting left-hand traffic is to allow Samoans to use cheaper right-hand drive 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 aims to reduce reliance on expensive, left-hand drive imports from America. [...]
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 local time (17.00 GMT) for traffic to switch from the right to the left-hand side of the road.
from Wikipedia.
Isn’t it funny how economic pressures can change the way we act? And how desperate times can change the way we think? And also, how brilliant ideas are often simple?
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