The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has backed a proposal to ban tyres that are more than 10 years old from being fitted to coaches, buses and minibuses.
A government consultation into the matter closed on Sunday 1 September. It was launched following a long campaign led by Frances Molloy. Her son Michael was killed in a coach accident in 2012. A tyre that failed and caused the crash was later found to be almost 20 years old.
CPT has declared its support for the government’s proposed ban. However, it has argued that suppliers must be able to provide operators with complete records of any second-hand tyres.
There also needs to be a clear communication plan for the industry ahead of any changes, says Operations Director Keith McNally.
“Suppliers need to play their part in ensuring high standards of safety. How well a tyre has been cared for is the biggest factor in determining its roadworthiness. An operator needs to be able to see the complete history of a tyre at the point of purchase.”
Mr McNally adds that the proposed implementation period for the change is too short. It is currently three months. CPT says that it should be extended to six months to ensure that the entire industry has time to ensure that it complies.
However, CPT has highlighted that levels of compliance in the coach and bus industry are already “exceptionally high”. In recent tests only 0.05% of vehicles were found to have tyres of an age of 10 years or more on their front axle, which guidance currently advises against.
Adds Mr McNally: “Road safety is of paramount concern to coach and bus operators across the UK. We therefore welcome these proposals. However, we need to remember that this has only been a problem in a very small number of cases.”
