Members of the Ashanti Regional branch of Second-hand Tyres Dealers Association have called on government to stop the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) from pursuing the passage of a bill to ban the importation of used tyres into the country.
The NRSC, in consultation with the Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) and other stakeholders, conducted a study which indicated that used tyres contributed immensely to road accidents, apart from human error by drivers.
The NRSC consequently recommended that a bill be passed in parliament to allow the government to ban the importation of used tyres.
However, at a press conference in Kumasi yesterday, the association accused the NRSC of not consulting its executives before making the recommendation.
The Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Branch of the association, Mr Agyei Adomako, said the proposed bill, when passed, would cause huge financial burden to used tyre dealers, as well as create unemployment.
According to him, about 6,000 people are in the second-hand tyre business and cautioned that if a bill should be passed in parliament to ban second-hand tyres, the country�s unemployment situation would worsen.
He added that the ban would also not be good for commercial transportation in particular, as most operators in the sector who use second-hand tyres had experienced their benefits over the years.
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