Moz bans used tyre imports in road safety drive

MAPUTO - Importation of
second-hand tyres is now
banned in Mozambique, in
an effort to improve road
safety and cut down on
surface abuse of roads and
highways.
Hand in hand with the
rehabilitation and growth
of Mozambique’s postwar
road network this
past decade, which has
been viewed by the road
freight transport industry in
generally favourable terms,
has come a large number of
vehicles. The existence of
unsafe, second-hand tyres
is not new in the country,
but a visit to the Maputo
Province by FTW last week
witnessed the widespread
prevalence of bald tyres on
cars and trucks. Concerns
over this prompted the
import ban, the Office of
the National Director of
Surface Transports told
FTW.
Licensed tyre retread
companies will still be
able to import tyres to
rehabilitate and sell for the
time being, but all other
tyre imports are being
cut off. The inexpensive
foreign imports have also
led to complaints from
auto parts shops of unfair
competition.
Mozambique is taking
seriously its commitment
to improving the standards
of its road infrastructure,
by expanding the highway
network and maintaining
the current road system.
While two thirds of a
recently acquired World
Bank Loan of US $100
million (R700m) will go to
new highway construction,
$30 million (R210m) has
been earmarked for routine
road maintenance. The
money will be spent in the
nine months from October
to June 2008.