Outcry as Samoa motorists prepare to switch driving sides

The switch to driving on the left hand side of the road, which takes effect at 6 a.m. local time on Monday (11 a.m. EDT), is the brain child of Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who said it would be more economical for Samoans to buy new and used cars from Pacific neighbors Australia and New Zealand.

But the change has sparked a public outcry, with opponents saying it will only cause more traffic chaos on the island's already dangerous roads.

Last month hundreds of protesters took to the streets to denounce the decision and some of the government-erected signs advising people to "keep left" have been vandalized.

The companies that run buses on the island have also requested government compensation for the hefty costs of swapping their passenger doors to the left-hand side.