Samoa's traditional wooden buses are being phased out because engines for them are no longer being made overseas.
The backbone of public transport for decades, the buses are trucks that arrive from their Japanese manufacturers with engine, chassis and wheels.
Owners then build timber frames and mount them to the chassis to create buses.
The engine manufacturers have promised that spare parts will be available for the next fifteen years, but some owners are already selling off their wooden buses and replacing them with ready-made vehicles.
Two ready-made buses are already serving routes in the capital Apia.
However, the Transport Control Board says the olden wooden buses will be around for a while yet as there are still 181 of them listed on their books.
