Students and members of the public have appealed to the Land Transport Authority (L.T.A.) to build bigger bus stations that can protect the students during heavy rain.

Heavy rains in recent days have caught out hundreds of students from different schools in Apia, as bus stations along the main arterial roads are either too small to cater for everyone or do not exist.

A student, who attends the LDS Pesega College, told the Samoa Observer that they still get wet while sitting at a bus station.

"The bus stations that we have are not safe at all, especially when the rain is this heavy, even if we are sitting in the bus stations we still get wet by the rain," he said.

Other students from other schools, who did not want to be identified, expressed similar sentiments and added that they are too small. 

"The small bus station in front of our school is too small for us and we need a bus stop that could fit everyone in it and perhaps something that could protect us from the rain as well," she added.

Some of the parents of students say they’ve seen children taking shelter under a tree while waiting in the pouring rain for buses.  

A member of the public, Tauvaga Filoi, said she feels sorry for the students whom she passes on her way home. 

"When I was on my way, I saw students from Vaigaga Primary School standing in the streets but were all soaking wet with their parents. This was not a good sight to be honest," she said.

Ms Filoi said she hopes the matter can be taken up by the Government, though she added that the decision by the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture to cancel classes was a good move.

"I just hope that no cyclone will hit Samoa and for whoever is responsible in constructing bus stations/shelter, to please make sure to build big ones and something that will keep our kids safe from the rain," she added.

The LDS Pesega College Vice Principal, Tuasivi Elisara, told Samoa Observer that they intend to write to the L.T.A. to raise their concerns as their educational facility comprises an elementary school, high school and college. 

"The shelters are too small for Pesega itself, we will write a letter to L.T.A. to consider building a bigger one here, because we have so many students and those small bus stops cannot cater for them all," he said.

Attempts by the Samoa Observer to get a comment from the L.T.A. was unsuccessful at the time of going to press.