Second hand tyres to be banned

Dzodze, (V/R), May 8, GNA - A proposal for the banning of importation, sale and use of second-hand lorry tyres has been submitted to government for consideration, as part of measures to reduce road accidents in the country. Mr. Elvis Gbesemate, Volta Regional Co-ordinator of the National Road Safety Commission, said this when he visited the scene of a lorry accident, caused by tyre burst, on the Ho-Aflao highway last Wednesday. Three people died on the spot and several others were seriously injured in the accident.

Mr. Gbesemate said most second-hand tyres including steel-belted tyres were made for temperate regions of the world and not tropical countries such as Ghana where high temperatures caused such tyres to over inflate and burst when in use.

He said radial tyres were recommended tyres for tropical countries such as Ghana because they were designed to withstand high temperatures. Mr. Gbesemate said tyres were meant to be used for a period of three years but most of the second-hand tyres being used in the country have passed their expiry dates and unsafe.

He advised drivers and lorry owners to buy new and recommended tyres which though might seem to be costly were cost effective. Mr. Gbesemate advised drivers not to pump their tyres to the maximum level to avoid over-inflation and busting of tyres. He said it was unfortunate that some people spend huge sums of money to buy vehicles only to lose them through accidents because cheap second-hand tyres were used.