The iconic colorful Samoan wooden buses may soon be but a memory to man ytravelers and visitors following a tragic accident last weekend which claimed three lives.
Chief Executive Office of the Land Transport Authority, Leasi John Galuvao, told the Samoa Observer this week that he believes it is time they were being phased out.
This is nothing new as government had introduced measures in the year 2000 that would phase out the buses with locally manufactured cabins built on truck chasis.
But the high cost of new ready made imported buses were too high and second hand buses did not meet the ‘age’ criteria of 12 years set by government.
The 12 year-old imported buses were also considered too old and were mostly rundown, but they were the only affordable buses.
So locally made buses were accepted and LTA also had stringent safety standards set for locally manufactured bus cabins.
