UAE delays ban on sale of used car tyres

The UAE has delayed proposed ban on the sale and use of old tyres in the country. According to the original schedule the ban was scheduled to come into force in September 2012.

It is now learnt that the deadline has been extended and hundreds of shops continue to sell old tyres.

“There are a couple of hundred stores near the Sharjah’s BMW area alone,” said one trader on condition of anonymity.

According to him if the ban comes into effect several thousand will lose jobs.

The country’s standardisation body Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (Esma) had announced that cars and motorcycles in the UAE will not be allowed to use second-hand tyres with effect from September 1, 2012.

Speaking to the media in March, Mohammed Saleh Al Badri of UAE Specifications and Standardization Authority had said the deadline given to dealers through the UAE is enough for them to get rid of their stock of used tyres.

“Dealers now have three choices before the enforcement of this decision… either they sell their stock of used tyre, re-export them or destroy them,” Al Badri had said adding that on September 1 unified specifications for car tyres will be enforced and will be binding to all tyre dealers and importers.

The law will apply to all vehicles and motorcycles except heavy-duty trucks, which according to the agency pose less risk to safety.

Even when buying new tyres customers have to be careful to look at the date of manufacture. Usually tyres have a lifespan of five years while retreaded tyre have a lifespan of just two years.