Samoa is facing a significant surge in vehicle imports as figures show more than 40,000 vehicles were imported in two decades.

The trend is raising public and governmental concerns about road safety and environmental sustainability. 

The dramatic increase of cars on the road has become a pressing issue for daily commuters navigating traffic congestion. 

“It usually takes 30-40 minutes to get to school, but with traffic, it takes an hour. There are too many cars,” said 18-year-old National University of Samoa student Moetagi Lui who drives from Siusega to Vaivase daily.

Waking up at 6 a.m. to make her 8 a.m. classes, Moetagi expressed her frustrations, admitting that the traffic sometimes makes her late and affects her learning. Her daily route passes through Sinamoga, Alafua, and Alamagoto before joining the busy main road of Taufusi. 

Reports from the research for Samoa on End of Life Electric Vehicle Battery Disposal Strategy and Solution 2024 indicate that the total number of imported vehicles in Samoa has jumped from 979 in 2000 to an astounding 2,769 in 2022, culminating in 43,195 vehicles imported between 2000 and 2022.

Richard Epa, another commuter, echoed Moetagi’s concerns, adding, “I do personally believe that there are a bit too many cars," 

Richard commutes from Vaitele to Apia every day to get to work. He goes through Tuanaimato, then Lotopa, and Pesega to turn onto the main road in Vaimoso. 

"There are more marginal people using the road than there are people who need to use the road,” said Epa.

He emphasised the need for workers like himself to commute daily, comparing their necessity with those who use the roads for casual errands. 

The trend in rising imported vehicles poses questions regarding road safety, Senior Supreme Court Justice Vui Clarence Nelson stated during a recent negligent driving case earlier this month: “The seemingly unregulated flow of vehicles in a small country is leading to a lot of accidents. Perhaps it is time for the government to look into this issue." 

This spike in vehicle registration can be traced back to 2008 when Samoa switched from right-hand to left-hand driving. This resulted in a remarkable increase in new vehicle registrations, five times higher within a year.

Cars formed 72.8 per cent of all imports from 2000 to 2022, a figure that highlights the critical role of cars in Samoa’s transport sector. With the increasing reliance on motor vehicles, there is a growing urgency to adopt greener practices to ensure sustainable transportation. 

As for the vehicles that have taken on a more permanent residence in Samoa, in an email exchange with the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Fuimaono Katenia Rasch stated that the government does not deal with End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) directly and that the vehicles are sent overseas for recycling through private sector recycling companies. 

"The government through the MNRE do not manage ELVs directly as they are not disposed of at the landfill nor are collected via the government collection system," wrote Fuimaono. 

Fuimaono stated that the MNRE supports recycling companies. 

"Plans are in place through our donor projects to further enhance the management of ELVs by technical and financial assistance provided to them," said Fuimaono. 

She suggested contacting Pacific Recycle and Solid Waste and Recycling Management Authority (SWRMA) for further information on the recycling activities of the ELVs, which the Samoa Observer can confirm is underway.