Used tire ban would cripple transportation, say Ghanaian dealers

ERJ staff report (BC)

Kumasi, Ghana – Secondhand dealers in Ghana’s Ashanti region are opposing a legislative ban on importing used tires proposed by the country’s National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), reports the Ghana News Agency.

The dealers are said to have warned that implementing the ban would have a “crippling effect” on Ghana’s transportation system.

Agyei Adomako, regional chairman of the Ghanaian Second-hand Dealers Association, dismissed the claim that these tires are contributing to road crashes, saying that “could not be correct”.

Adomako added that the tires are not just dumped into the country, but are inspected by the Ghana Standards Authority for quality assurance purposes.

He suggested that the Commission focus on what he saw as the real causes of road accidents in Ghana – roads in poor condition, speeding, a careless disregard for road traffic regulations and a lack of vehicle maintenance.

Adomako concluded that the serious economic implications of the ban for businesses and jobs must not be ignored.