Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Motorists condemn RTSA’s plans to ban Second Hand Tyres on Zambian Roads

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Second Hand Tyres
Second Hand Tyres

A cross section of motorists in Zambia have spoken out against intentions by the Road Transport and Safety Agency to ban the use of second hand tyres on Zambian roads.

RTSA this week announced that it has proposed legislation banning the use of second hand tyres.

The motorists interviewed in Lusaka say they are against the planned move as it will not solve the problem of high road carnage in Zambia.

They have since asked RTSA to put the entire project on hold until further consultations and research is done.

Others took to the RTSA Facebook page to condemn the move saying if implemented, the move will only increase corruption on Zambian roads.

“You should consider hundreds of Zambian who make a living out of second hand tyre business. I think this will just increase corruption among officers who will be implementing this new law,” one of the bloggers wrote.

“Banning of second hand tyres will not solve the problem of road accidents. If the condition of tyres is a factor, then the issue ‘Defective or Worn out’ should be addressed bearing in mind that some called ‘Second hand tyres may actually be new,” another posted.

Some charged, “The problem with you RTSA is that you don’t want to engage serious people to partner with…That’s why these problems will never end in Zambia. Look at the people who you are partnering with? There are people with ideas and they have approached you before to offer solutions but you have denied them.”

THE Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has proposed legislation banning the use of second hand tyres.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, RTSA director and Chief Executive Officer Zindaba Soko, said the proposal to have a law banning the use of second hand tyres was a way of improving law enforcement on conditions of motor vehicles.

Mr Soko said the Agency would be introducing the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS), a new technology that will be used to monitor drivers on the road.

“In our efforts to attain road safety, we will be improving law enforcement on vehicle conditions; for example, banning the usage of used or retreaded tyres to avert road carnage. We will be introducing the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) to strengthen monitoring of drivers on the road. We are also seriously, considering reviewing the road traffic post-care management systems in order to introduce better post-crash care management of all road traffic accident victims,” Mr Soko said.

Mr Soko stated that 1, 100 people died from road traffic accidents in the first half of 2016 a situation he described as disturbing.

He stated that the Agency had identified speeding, drink driving, unlicensed drivers and unroad worth vehicles as common offences leading to accidents.

66 COMMENTS

  1. You should consider hundreds of Zambian who make a living out of second hand tyre business. I think this will just increase corruption among officers who will be implementing this new law,” one of the bloggers wrote.
    This business is mostly run by foreigners from east Africa.
    The move to ban the expired tyres is long overdue.

    • Good idea to ban second hand tyres coz;
      1. Second hand tyre thieves will stop stealing as they won’t have a market
      2. We’ll have eliminated one of the major causes of road carnages

    • The fact that second hand tyres are not the only cause of deadly accidents on our roads is no justification for govt not to ban them. We should act on all other vices including the sale of used tyres

    • This is the problem with poverty even things that are meant to help with improving road safety is opposed the next thing will be the announcement by government to suspend the proposal from RTSA.
      Next ban importation of all vehicles more than 8 years old.
      Next ban importation of of left hand drive vehicles.
      On the issues of corruption just reconstitute
      The anti corruption commission to be more proactive.
      Stop blaming witchcraft, the devil, satanists and all the nonsense of holding national prayers for road safety! You must confront the small corrupt devil in people and drunken drivers in not so road worthy vehicles with little high way code knowledge.

  2. 1. Too many Illegal drivers on the road with fake PSV licenses. Some Truck drivers have no road courtesy. Public bus drivers are the worst.

    2. No road markings

    3. Police traffic would rather harass law abiding citizens for free lunch rather than the so many illegal bad bus drivers breaking road rules everywhere

    4. Huge bus operators need speed limiters strictly implemented.

    5. Too many old vehicles on the Zambian roads, a lot older than 10 years old.
    To counter this, ZRA should encourage people to import newer vehicles. This can be done by reducing the duty on newer vehicles. But alas, they want to make money of the importance of Zambian lives and they do the opposite, so people are forced to purchase 2006 reg and below

  3. Instead of whining and stomping about consider re-establishing or reviving tire retread factories with enhanced quality and clear ratings for speed tolerance. Why don’t Zambians change their mindsets from one of moaning about problems to one of seeking opportunity when faced with challenge. Watch how the U.K. Is making the best of Brexit and learn.

    • @Kalok, I am with you on your idea. In fact, in addition to your idea, RTSA itself ought to recommend opening up vehicles manufacturing plants in Zambia because just this one act will create employment in the country as tire manufacturing companies like Dunlop, Firestone, Michellen etc will open up. The employment which will be created after the above mentioned industries will out-weight just a few people selling second hand tires. Good idea @Kalok.

  4. RTSA a failed project! Before you come up with such harebrained harebrain scheme what research have you conducted to link road carnage to second hand tyres!? This is the problem of having cadres in position of influence!

  5. How will RTSA enforce such a law? Impound cars with second hand tyres? How will they prove that the tyres on this particular car are second hand? Or will they target the shops selling them? If they storm the shops, they should be sure that such tyres will still be sold behind houses secretly. How will they enforce that law?

  6. @Napapa Sana the obvious way to enforce this is to stop importation of this commodity! Some of you bloggers are low IQ so you only think in the box. Let’s help RTSA get rid of this scourge!

    • I hope you are aware that there are numerous local dealers sourcing and selling second-hand tyres from within zambia. This is “business” between/among locals where tyres are not imported. That was and is still my concern. It is very easy to control imports as you know, but more difficult to control local secretive business deals. Mr. MB, I am sure you didn’t think outside the box by simply suggesting import control, but I will not question your IQ.

  7. Good move ba RTSA. We know that the use of second hand tyres isn’t the only cause of road accidents but since its a contributing factor then it has to be dealt with as well as the other causes. Slowly we will get there

  8. Modern tyres have manufacture year and week on them. Are we suppose to replace all aged according to year of make but good?

  9. Some one in pf has just opened a tyre company hence this law. Zambians wake up.

  10. YES 2nd hand tyres are not good but they are not the only cause of accidents….Bring back DUNLOP or else empower the manufacturing sector for us to have quality cheaper tyres before you ban used tyres….you cannot implement something without offering a solution.

  11. RTSA AND SINDABA SOKO, YOU DON’T SEEN TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, SECOND HAND TIRES ARE NOT THE CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS FAR FROM IT. FACT, OVER SPEEDING, NO OR NOT CLEAR ROAD MARKINGS, CARELESS DRIVING, UNLICENSED DRIVERS, OVERLOADING ETC ARE THE MAIN CAUSES OF ROAD ACCIDENTS. PLEASE DO YOUR HOME WORK PROPERLY, AND BEFORE THAT USELESS LAW IS ENACTED, FIRST PROPOSE TO GRZ TO BAN THE IMPORTATION OF ALL SECOND HAND GOODS INCLUDING SALAULA CLOTHES.

  12. Ban second hand tyres. they are a danger. When my tyres wears out, i go to buy new ones. no second hand hand tyres here. For once, let us support RATSA on this one. Go further, ban second hand cars from Japan and elsewhere. Let us develop zamcab. where is prof Chirwa and others with brains to help us develop a zam cab. Ugadans have developed a bus with solar.

    • ba airport cabinet… just coz you have a bit of tu stolen cash, all you can yap is dung. what about those who cant manage.

  13. drink driving is the issue contributing to accidents at most. these days people drink beer like water. what a shame!i support banning the use of second hand tyres.

  14. It is not the second hand tyres that causes accidents: Ba Sindaba Soko which School or University did teach you such: Are saying new tyres don’t burst prove: When Power Tools made an accident killing more than 22 people was it a tyre that burst or may be the driver was drunk. Think man (Soko) the driver was just over speeding. Simple arithmetic which even a one day child can find. Me I buy send hand tyres and I have never had an accident for the last 20 years. My speed when I am travelling from Kitwe to Lusaka is always between 110 – 130 for a vehicle which goes up to 180 and this is a Prado. Why being in a hurry?

  15. Some of the reasoning by people opposed to this proposal by RTSA is mind boggling. No one says that second hand tyres are the only cause of accidents, but they are a contributing factor, a major one at that. Therefore, all contributing factors must be dealt with. E po mpelele.

  16. Yes: kk Airport Cabinet -let Soko ban even second hand Cars – we should all go for brandy New Cars.

  17. Where on earth has second hand tyres been ban? They even sell second hand tyres in the UK, and people use them here.

    • Gideon,,, you are right in UK and USA they sale second hand tyres. Its even hot business… Zambia we always make wrong dissions when we fail to do small things. Example .. we want to make a new capital because lusaka is congested!!!!??? Lusaka is far from being congested. Planners are just failing to think. The same resources they want to use for the new capital given to a japanese planner , he can use just half the money and he can came up with a congestion free Lusaka.
      We will just make Kafue dirty as well because all shanty compunds you are failing to demolish will shift to Kafue… and Kafue river will be the most contaminated and politated river.

  18. We had a company that used to make tyres but FTJ opened the gates to everything instead of new tyres…Europe uses us as a dumping ground.
    Rtsa has bigger issues to lobby than this…lobby for installation of speed limiters in PSVs.

  19. Tyres more than 5 years from the date of manufacture are a death trap. Buying such tires is like suicide. Tyres are stamped with manufacture date for that reason. RTSA should have banned these tyres long time ago.

  20. RTSA should come up with long term preventive measures to curb fatal accidents on Zambian roads. It should partner with Ministry of General Education to include Road Safety in the curriculum. It does not make any sense to ban use of second hand and retreaded tyres on our Zambian roads while at the same time allow importation of second cars. What a wired way of planning. For a start RTSA should immediately recruit more honoury road inspectors to beef up its man power. There is a lot of indiscipline on our roads by people who drink booz. For one to prove just take a random check on pubs and see the number of cars parked at such places one would wonder if those guys after taking one or two even more if they can competently control themselves once behind the wheels. Look at the number lamp…

  21. SECOND HAND TYRES MUST BE OFF THE ROAD. LET THEM GO AND GET THEM RE-TREADED BY PROFESSIONAL COMPANIES LIKE CONSOLIDATED TYRE SERVICES LTD WHO ARE SPECIALISTS IN THAT AREA. THEN THE TYRES WILL HAVE ANOTHER GOOD LIFE ADDED TO THEM.
    SECOND HAND TYRES, NO,NO, NO, THEY MUST BE BANNED.

  22. RTSA is right. relook at new tyre costing, reopen dunlop etc the country shud not be a dumpsite. you friends throw imwe u tola! away with used tyres

  23. THAT IS ONE GOOD MOVE BY RTSA. SAFETY IS A SERIOUS MATTER & WE CANNOT COMPROMISE BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE MAKING A LIVING OUT OF IT. NEXT SHOULD BE THE REMOVAL OF VENDORS FROM THE STREETS. RIGHT NOW, ZRA SAYS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REACH THEIR TARGET THIS YEAR. THESE VENDORS DON’T PAY TAX AND THEY ARE OBSTRUCTING SHOP OWNERS WHO PAY TAX. I AM NOT SAYING WE STOP VENDING NO, BUT FIND THEM A BETTER PLACE

  24. Someone is saying he drive at 130 in Zambian roads? Even in Australia were the roads are far better than in Zambia we dont driver at that speed. The the highest is 110 in 4 lane roads. That why in zambia so many Accidents.

  25. Exceed speed limit by Not more than 10 km/h
    Light vehicles – court maximum fine $,2,200
    Heavy vehicles – court maximum fine $2,200
    Licence disqualification –
    Exceed speed limit by More than 10 km/h but not more than 20 km/h
    Light vehicles – court maximum fine $2,200
    Heavy vehicles – court maximum fine $2,200
    Licence disqualification –
    Exceed speed limit by More than 20 km/h but not more than 30 km/h
    Light vehicles – court maximum fine $2,200
    Heavy vehicles – court maximum fine $2,200
    Licence disqualification –
    Exceed speed limit by More than 30 km/h but not more than 45 km/h
    Light vehicles – court maximum fine $2,200
    Heavy vehicles – court maximum fine $2,200
    Licence disqualification 3 months (minimum)
    Exceed speed limit by More than 45 km/h
    Light vehicles – court maximum…

  26. RTSA uphold your decisions. Pass the proposal to law. Road Safety must be improved in Zambia. The average Zambian Driver is a Maverick chancing their and others lives. I concur with both @1.4 james buga and @2. Jason who raise most pertinent issues. Gov’t should not cave in to public pressure on this issue. All cars must be road worthy and checks on tyres and condition of cars is a must.
    The perfect solution is a national transport system. Can gov’t look into allowing our Chinese partners to run a bus service through Zambia bringing in new large buses? I noted that we have some old Train tracks running through the city to the centre of Lusaka. They appear disused or used intermittently. Can we improve these tracks and have a transport service by train? I think it’s doable…

    • GET BAD CARS AND DRIVERS OFF THE ROAD FIRMLY, then provide these public service transport for people. Advantage? MORE MONEY TO GDP.

    • Oh! And another thing…….! Why are pedestrians allowed to Jaywalk on main roads? Can there be more Pelican Crossing points marked on busy roads so people do not have to snake their way in-between fast car lanes trying to cross the road. People just walk into roads including vendors selling fruits, MTN top ups etc, it’s distracting to motorists.

  27. Radio 2 interview with a12yrof boy : what do you want to be, Boy : Traffic Police. Interviewer : Why? Boy : Ta bapya. Interviewer : How. Boy : Kupangafye road block. There you’re, this is the major cause of accidents …the human factor not the poor Tyre.

  28. Ati: “He stated that the Agency had identified speeding, drink driving, unlicensed drivers and unroad worth vehicles as common offences leading to accidents.” My foot! This list does not include second hand tyres. And by the way how do they know that these are second hand tyres? Most cars in Zambia are actually second hand cars. How does RATSA register a second hand car with second hand tyres. Ok maybe at the boarder RATSA will be giving free new tyres for every second hand car imported. This is good news. These guys are jokers.

  29. Second hand tyres a danger whether we agree or we don’t agree. Ban them or find away of testing them before they are sold.

  30. I shudder to think that a very important department such as RTSA is headed by a headless Chicken who does not understand that even the tyres he is using on his car have become second hand or used. Are you saying that you are going to start making cheap tyres or you are going to allow thousands of vehicles to be packed. Tyres may cause accidents but the main cause of accidents is the driver.

  31. The Government must go ahead and ban on the importation of the second hand tyres…There’s no second hand life once you lose the current one caused by these tyres thru’ the accidents…Only UPND and it’s Supreme leader HH and it’s Cadres would oppose the current proposal…

  32. RTSA please do a research first, so as to get to the root cause of road accidents. Maybe you can mount cameras on all Zambian roads, this will help you understand what really happens on the roads at all times.After which you create an anti -road accident plan, and implement it. If you have the financial capacity to do it. Good luck with that.

    • Mount simple cameras that costs $2million dollars to install and procure via Lazy Lungus company for $30 million.

  33. RATSA .move is good for the country not for few individuals. The Tyre’s we are buying as second hand and some claim to be new but poor quality are killing us. We need to test their durability?

  34. “You should consider the thousands of Zambians who make a living out of selling second hand tyres”, add ..”and kill thousands of people on the road..”. This country never ceases to amaze me, you even have “leaders” who want to create violent revolution because it is their “human rights” for Zambians to die so that they can become President. RTSA, just proceed with your plans imwe ba Zindaba Soko. Your mandate is to save lives on the roads.

  35. It’s not about second hand, it’s the condition of the tyres (are the threads deep enough or not). Someone somewhere is obviously trying to extort a corrupt payment

  36. Tyres have a date of manufacture and therefore an expiry date. RSTA marely has to educate motorists on the life span of a tyre starting with the identification of the date the tyre was made because this date is hard to find for an untrained eye.

  37. Remove things that bring the cost of brand new tyres expensive like VAT and make the tyres cheap then burn second hand tyres………..and infact there is no research that has been done to ascertain that second hand tyres are the causes of accidents………a worn out Tyre can be checked by RTSA on there check points and not banning!!! RTSA listen to people and not just making decisions.

  38. lack of employment among the youths, we don’t even make tyres. honestly if this was to be approved the crime level in Zambia will increase plus prostitution which will lead to a lot of HIV and STIs increase. If you can afford to employ them why get their only way of survive. Not all Zambians work in government can manage to buy brand new tyres. we import second hand cars from Japan why cant we import second hand tyres also…?

  39. Good. Ban them. You should consider banning second hand cars as well. We can save many zambian lives.
    Its better i walk to work than die in wreck.

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