While the FRSC’s free safety checks continue across the country, with a future possibility of clampdown on users of fairly used tyres, the popular Tokunbo tyre market on Alhaji Amusa Street, Mushin, Lagos, is still booming with business activities.

On a visit to the place recently, a 40-ft container, laden with Tokunbo tyres was seen offloading. Buyers were on hand, ready for transactions. Due to the high cost of duties at the ports, these importers have devised a clever means of saving money by forcing up to three tyres into one. Thus, the container is able to accommodate so many tyres, without incurring the cost of using an extra container.

Following its stakeholders’ forum held May 9, 2016, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had announced a nationwide monitoring campaign on tyres. The exercise, which is being supervised by nine of its topmost management staff and all zonal commanding officers, is aimed at providing free safety checks and reducing the rate of road accidents. According to FRSC statistics, more than 90 per cent of road accidents across the country, between February 9 and April 7, 2016, resulted from burst tyres.

Since the exercise began, residents have expressed fear of a possible ban by the FRSC on use of fairly used or Tokunbo tyres. Many blame the state of the nation’s economy, which they say is forcing motorists to patronise such tyres.

For Olufemi, a customer, who was in the market to purchase tyres for his Honda Accord, a combination of harsh economy and failure by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to conduct proper checks on tyres coming into the country has led to the quest for fairly used tyre.

“Many Nigerians are currently finding it difficult to feed their families, talk little of buying new tyres. In fact, most of these new tyres come from China and they are of poor quality. When you buy them today, a few months later, you are forced to return to the market. In many cases, these Tokunbo tyres are even better; at least, you are sure they were tested in the countries they came from. There are substandard products everywhere and government should look into it. The problem we have here is because we do not have standard tyre manufacturers: Michelin and Dunlop have both moved out of the country,” he said.

A new 205/65/15 rim tyre, for instance, sells for N13,500-N16,000, depending on the brand. Same tyre size made in China sells for N9,500-N10,000.The Tokunbo version, on the other hand, can be picked up for as little as N4,500.

But speaking on 99.3 Nigeria Info FM, Lagos, Deputy Route Commander (FRSC Lagos Sector Command) Olajide Giwa, said the exercise is simply an advocacy campaign, and that no vehicle would, for now, be impounded.

“Since we started, we’ve not been booking people; it’s a free safety check. Before now, however, it has always been in our booking sheet; driving with a worn tyre has always been an offence. We have not been booking people for using Tokunbo tyres; focus has rather been only on worn out and expired tyres,” he said.

On the fate of persons caught driving with worn out tyres during the campaign, Giwa said: “We will inform them that their tyres are bad and that they need to have them changed. There are, however, cases where the tyres are so bad that we just can’t allow the vehicle to get back on the road. That does not mean we would impound the vehicles. We don’t penalise them for that, rather we advise them to park their vehicles with us and change the tyres.”

Driving with worn tyres attracts a fine of about N2000, which many motorists can pay and go their way without hassles. This time, however, the FRSC seems to be thinking of more decisive measures.

“For instance, if I book you for having a worn tyre, and after paying N2000, you return to the road with the same tyre, I haven’t achieved anything. Our main focus is: after paying the fine, you have to change the tyres before your car is released. That way, we will be able to get a lot of people to, not just pay fines, but also comply with the directive,” he said.

Though there’s no plan currently to clamp down on fairly used tyres, there are indications that at the end of the ongoing exercise, the agency may go after offenders, including dealers, who smuggle them into the country.

“We are talking about life here. The economy is harsh, yet people are changing their vehicle engines. But tell them to buy a tyre, they will say, ‘Ah, let me buy Tokunbo tyre.”

Citing the popular commercial Danfo drivers in Lagos as example, Giwa said: “They spend money on the engine, but they don’t bother about the seats in the vehicle. They don’t bother about the wipers, spare tyre, and side mirrors. Once the engine is fine and the vehicle can move, they are okay,” he said.

Asked if government has plans to ban use of Tokunbo tyres in the country, Giwa said: “These tyres were smuggled into the country, so, it’s illegal. We cannot say we want to ban it; it’s already illegal.”

Following importation into the country, the process of separating the tyres involves pulling and hitting them with iron rods, risking damage to their already weakened internal structure.

But according to Charles, a trader at the Tokunbo tyre market on Alhaji Amusa Street, Mushin, Lagos, “That’s the only way you can make money when you bring these tyres in. Go and check how much we pay to import the containers from abroad and the duties we pay at the ports. If you don’t do it this way, you will definitely not break even.”

Obviously, these traders are not concerned with the ongoing checks by the FRSC on worn out and fairly used tyres. As far as they are concerned, buying a Tokunbo tyre is a matter of choice.

“We don’t force people to buy Tokunbo tyres. If they had better options, they won’t be here. I don’t know why the government is always looking for ways to make life difficult for poor people. Don’t look at me as an ordinary trader. I went to school; I’m a graduate. I’m in this business today because I have no job. And I’ve decided to create one for myself. Now, they are talking of a ban. I don’t understand this government,” said Uche Nwafor, a trader.

Asked if he’s unaware of the danger associated with using Tokunbo and expired tyres, Mike Aniachuna, another trader in the market, argued: “Why are they thinking of banning Tokunbo tyres? Why is government not thinking about fixing our roads? Bad roads have killed more Nigerians than tyres have. Besides, we pay all sorts of levies to this same government that is talking about stopping our business.”

 

Source: Guardian.ng

Comments

comments