31 Aug 2009

Samoa court rejects claims driving side swap would be too dangerous

9:48 am on 31 August 2009

The Samoa government's controversial road switch from right to left hand driving will go ahead next week after the court ruled against a lobby group trying to stop the change.

The legal action challenged the safety of the government's plans fearing lives could be lost due to driving chaos resulting from the switch.

One of the lawyers for the group People Against Switching Sides, Daryl Clarke says the supreme court judge Vui Clarence Nelson was clear in his ruling.

"Because it could not be shown that there was any intention in terms of any possible loss of life, the Constitutional Article five wasn't triggered. So the application was dismissed, and so the switch at present is on the seventh of September."

Daryl Clarke says the lobby group is still considering whether to appeal the court ruling but are organising a protest march.