Eco issues associated with Samoa road switch

Motor1 tackles vehicle value and eco issues associated with Samoa road switch

The opening of Motor1 Samoa delivers a solution to many of the financial and environmental concerns surrounding Samoa's switch today from left- to right-hand drive vehicles. So says Mark Lewis, representative of Motor1; one of New Zealand's largest automobile importers.

"Motor1 has spent the last nine months developing a vehicle import-export strategy that not only supports Samoa's now active legislation, but also promotes an environmentally sound, cost-effective and safe alternative to car ownership in what is now a left-hand-side driving country," he states.

"We've looked at three key areas of concern. Firstly, the impact of limited visibility that comes with driving a left-hand-drive vehicle on the left-hand-side of the road.

"It's a safety issue that can be minimised by swapping out old vehicles for new right-hand-drive options. But there's been a real concern that the value of existing vehicles will diminish so significantly that, for some, a trade-in becomes unaffordable.

"Additionally, the environmental impact of older left-hand drive vehicles being dumped is a key concern. Samoa's infrastructure may not be ideally positioned to manage a large volume of discarded vehicles - and the potential for cars to be abandoned across the countryside could lead to future eco-issues."

"Our vehicle yard in Apia, which opens on 18 September 2009, gives local vehicle owners an opportunity to sell those right-hand vehicles at a fair trade-in price," he says.

Vehicles traded-in with Motor1 will be exported out of Samoa, shipped to New Zealand and on-sold to buyers in South America, Europe and Asia. Any older cars not suitable for on-sale will need to be scrapped.

"A lot of the late model vehicles still hold significant value on the international market," states Lewis. "There's no need for vehicles to be dumped; neither is there a reason for local car owners to be duped out a fair price for their old cars."

Stocked with over 50 Japanese imported vehicles - and another 100 arriving soon - the Motor1 Samoa car yard includes quality second-hand vehicles that may not ordinarily be available in Samoa; popular vehicles such as Toyota Landcruiser Prado's, RAV4's, and Toyota Hilux Surfs and people movers.

To date, local businesses have taken advantage of Motor1's import/export initiative, as Motor1 Samoa's exporting of left-hand drive vehicles out of Samoa gets into full swing.

In the long-term, the road switch will make buying a vehicle in Samoa more affordable, says Lewis.

"Previously, shipping costs have been prohibitive for many. It can cost as much as 400% more to ship an American vehicle from Hawaii, compared to the cost of shipping from New Zealand.

"Part of the government's strategy was to make lower priced cars available in Samoa, so that more people could afford to buy them.

"We've factored New Zealand's lower freight costs into our imported vehicle prices, enabling us to provide better-priced good quality vehicles fit for Samoa's new left-hand driving policy."

ENDS

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