15 Apr 2008

Samoans hold another march against planned road switch

12:45 pm on 15 April 2008

A second march in Samoa against plans to change which side of the road people drive on has attracted huge support.

The protest, from the centre of Apia to outside parliament, was organised just ahead of the second reading of the controversial road transport bill.

Organisers of the march say more people took part in this demonstration than in the previous protest held in December.

That march was described as the largest in Samoa in five years.

An organiser from the protest group, PASS, Georgina Newton says many more were involved this time round:

"It's about, at least twice the size of the last march, say about 10,000 15,000 people."

MPs inside parliament downplayed the level of support, putting the number of protesters at 2,000 or 3,000.

The speaker welcomed the marchers and the organising committee then presented letters to the 49 MPs urging them to reject the bill