Tuesday, March 19, 2024

RTSA’s intention to ban the use of Second Hand Tyres Welcomed

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Second Hand Tyres
Second Hand Tyres

Energy Forum Zambia has welcomed the intention by RTSA to propose legislation seeking to ban the use of second hand tyres in the country.

Forum Chairperson Johnson Chikwanda however, says his organization will wait for RTSA to define certain phrases such as their definition of “second hand.”

Mr Chikwanda explained that there is need for RTSA to make the public understand that a tyre can lose its road worthiness before even been fitted to the car.

He said not all second hand tyres are a safety hazard as anything can become a second hand by virtual of it exchanging hands from the time it is purchased.

“Any product can become second or third hand once change of ownership takes place regardless of its age. Thus, a tyre which is one week old is capable of becoming second hand. This does not necessarily make that tyre a safety hazard. Further a tyre can become a safety hazard even before it has been used because compounds which are used to make tyres begin to degrade from date of tyre manufacture and not from date of use.

“As a forum we are constrained to comment to the full length until we have read the proposed legislation and understood how certain critical phrases such as “second hand” would be defined. In fact we would prefer the phrase “used tyres” to “second hand” tyres. It must be borne in mind that a second hand tyre is not necessarily a safety hazard. What most members of the public do not know is that tyres have a life span which commence the day a tyre is manufactured and not when the tyre is fitted on the vehicle.

“This means that unused tyres such as spare wheels can actually lose road worthiness even before they are put to use. It is an old tyre or worn out tyre which is a safety hazard. Most traffic law enforcement officers focus on the “condition of a tyre” and not the “date of manufacture (DOM).” The DOM is written on tyres. This must be addressed,” he said.

He also noted that second hand tyres is big business in the continent including Zambia but that most of the tyres being imported into the country have outlived their usefulness in their respective countries of origin.

“While the forum is not oblivious to the fact that second hand tyres is big business in most African countries including Zambia, it is also alive to the fact that most second hand tyres or rather used tyres being imported in Zambia have actually outlived or are about to outlive their usefulness in their respective countries of origin.

“This is part of a wider scheme of dumping automobile components which include obsolete engine oil. We have seen some engine oils being sold whose cheap formulation is for vehicles that were made in 1960s and 1970s! The Forum is of the view that making it unattractive to import used tyres will reduce the prevalence of used tyres and thus reduce the possibility of unsafe tyres on the market. If this will be the intention of the proposed legislature, then RTSA has a point. The proposed law must define certain terms such as “used tyre” and when it becomes unsafe for re-use and “acceptable age of tyre.” Tyres may be new but depending on date of manufacture, they may be unsafe,” he explained.

He further called on RTSA to widely consult stakeholders.

“On the other hand, a tyre may have been used before, but its age and condition may still be fine. In consultation with tyre manufacturers, Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS), Automobile Dealers, laws in countries of origin of the used tyres, consumer watchdogs and Insurance companies, a reasonable and well balanced law can be passed.

“The law may be designed either to make it hard to import used tyres or to make it criminal to sale, import or use tyres that are beyond a certain age regardless of appearance. We are of the view that it is premature for a cross section of motorists to aver that banning the use of used tyres would not solve road accidents. This is because defective or “old” tyres are a harbinger for some accidents,” he said.

11 COMMENTS

  1. Welcomed!!Are you sure? It is only the few elite ones who would welcome such an unfair move. Even vehicles with brand new tyres get involved in accidents. Accidents are due to human error.

    • At a time when IMF seeks to revive a dead economy, with the poor to be disadvantaged the most, a move such as this one will only add to the grievances of the poor. Its a good idea. But this is NOT the time!

  2. Think, survey and consult before making sweeping statements. The problem in our country is that people in privileged positions are full of rhetoric . They want to be heard to show relivance.
    Even developed countries, they use second hand tyres. There’s more to roadworthiness of vehicles than secondhand tyres. There’s also more to tyres than age and treads.
    The problems on zambian roads starts with RATSA, the agency with the mandate to ensure road safety. Look at its recruitment, your only get into their agency if you’re related to someone in higher office, not your caliber or appropriate qualifications. By then way,am not saying doctorate as a qualification. Ther answers area practical and not white collar. Vehicle zambian examiner uk based.

  3. To the look of things,what about the second hand veicles are you not going to ban them in zambia since some veicles mostly of them which are now moving in our roads are all second hand veicles are you going all so to ban them, and allow new ones to be moving on our roads.

  4. As a safety officer ,I would challange that RTSA must analyse thoroughly this matter very well because not everyone understands the importance of safety culture in our society. I mean in Educating the drivers before the propose is implimented.

    • @Anthony Kabashi as a Safety Officer or OHS practitioner you should in the forefront of analysing the issue at hand concerning the use of imported second hand tyres for motor vehicles.Tire Safety is plain on the types of tires that you must use depending on your need and application.Most of the Zambian car owners and drivers including road side tyre fitters do not understand numbers and letters labeled on the vehicle tires they use.People do not even know the right pressure for their tires and which tires to use in which season and road surfaces.A tire can have a good tread but it has surpassed its usefulness/lifespan even though it has not been used on any vehicle.The tires life spans also expires like food stuffs or panadol,and some beverages.Most tires have a life span of 3 to 5 years…

  5. Y can’t ratsa call workshops and educate all transporters about second hand tyres, do we have tyres manufacturing company, zambian remember ratsa is an agent from s.Africa and to my point of view there is some one who want to start supplying tyres from s.Africa check on trucks from south are full of retreated tyres, y do u want to milk all honey of zambian no no no no. All transporters lets woke up.our transport business has gone down becoz of their dealings as agents

    • Exactly my point chims, how does Ratsa come to a conclusion that second hand tyres should be banned. Without doing a thorough research showing that using second tyres is the main cause of accidents in our country. There is something fishy here, indeed someone is trying to push his/her interests, which is very unfair. For sure how can they ban 2nd hand tyres when the country doesn’t even manufacture a single tyre. This legislation will push many people into poverty and beyond. I believe the main cause of accidents on our roads is due to lawlessness of the majority of the drivers. Most drivers’ attitudes when on the road, needs to be worked on if we are to see reduced numbers of accidents.

  6. How did Ratsa come to a conclusion that second hand tyres should be banned. Without doing a thorough research showing that using second tyres is the main cause of accidents in our country. There is something fishy here, indeed someone is trying to push his/her interests, which is very unfair. How can they ban second hand tyres when the country doesn’t even manufacture a single tyre. This legislation will push many people (those in the second hand tyre business) into poverty and beyond. I believe that the main cause of accidents on our roads is due to lawlessness of the majority of the drivers. Most drivers’ attitudes when on the road, needs to be worked on if we are to see reduced numbers of accidents. #driversattitudesnumberoneculprit

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