The statement said: “The move sought to have a ban on the importation and use of substandard tyres in the country to ensure adherence as provided in the law.” The statement noted that in 2008, the Commission conducted a research to identify the impact of the “home use” or “second hand” tyres on the road safety situation in Ghana.

Discoveries from the research confirmed that about 70 per cent of tyres imported into the country were used tyres, which increased the risk of accident occurrences. According to the statement, the Commission intended to formulate a policy to bring into force the Implementation of the tyre Standardization, which was in accordance to the Regulation 62 of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012, L.I 2180.

The statement noted that the Commission would educate the public and Automobile Dealers Association as well as other associations to understand the law and its enforcement. The statement revealed that this came up when the Abossey Okai Tyre Dealers Association invited the NRSC to educate them on how the law would affect their operations when its enforcement commences.

At the briefing, the Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission, Mrs May Obiri Yebaoh, assured the tyre dealers that the policy would ensure that the final document contained concerns from all stakeholders. The statement noted that Mrs Yeboah advised the dealers to wholeheartedly accept and support the Commission on the move to save more lives on our roads because road safety was a collective responsibility.

Mr David Osafo Adonteng, the Director in Charge of Planning and Programming at the NRSC, who took the dealers through the law, said the education would come in phases to cover the Importer, the dealers and users.

“He added that, for a dealer who sells a substandard tyre to a user, would be sanctioned under the law, whereas a user who also buys and put such a tyre under the car would have it ceased when he visits the DVLA for road worthy. “They would be asked to change the tyre before the car would be released.

“Also for importers, the law will act on them should they bring any thing that fell below the required standards,” the statement said.   The statement said Mr Atta-Nsafoah, the Secretary of Abossey-Okai Tyres Sellers Association admitted that the Association welcomed the move to regularise standardisation of tyres in the country.