24 Mar 2008

Samoa MP says drive switch report skewed

10:15 am on 24 March 2008

An independent member of the Samoan parliament, Vaai Papu Vaelupe, claims several members of a parliamentary committee, who supported submissions opposing the Right Hand Drive switch, were forced to sign the committee report.

The report supported the government's proposal to change to driving on the left.

Vaai says the report did not reflect the evidence presented to the committee and other important matters raised by the public.

He says the opposing views were not included in the report.

Instead the report made it appear that there was unanimous support of the committee's findings and recommendations in support of the switch.

Vaai also says out of 129 witnesses questioned by the committee only 8 supported the proposal.