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TOKUNBO
TYRES
What are Tokunbo tyres?
In Nigeria, part-worn tyres Tokunbo tyres are. They are tyres which have been
used previously. They are fairly used or 'second-hand' tyres. Most Tokunbo tyres
are imported in Nigeria.
Tokunbo tyres are usually sold with about 40 per cent of their original tread
remaining. However, despite their remaining tread, it must be appreciated that
Tokunbo tyres are unsafe tyres.
In many cases, such tyres will appear perfectly sound but in reality very
unsafe. It is possible that they have been bumped up and down kerbs and over
other obstacles. They may have sustained irreparable and invisible damage to
their structure.
Tokunbo tyres come in different grades, their cost reflect their second-hand
nature and this no doubt contributes to their attraction to motorists. The
purchase and use of tokunbo tyres may enable some motorists keep their vehicles
on the road. The Nigerian government has placed a ban on the importation of
Tokunbo tyres and the Federal Road safety Commission of Nigeria has continued to
express concern about the sale and use of Tokunbo tyres.
The PATVORA Organisation is carrying campaigns to discourage the use of Tokunbo
tyres for public service transportation.
The Campaign Against Tokunbo Tyres
P.M. News (Lagos)
December 28, 2004
Posted to the web December 30, 2004
The on-going campaign against the use of imported used tyres, also known as
Tokunbo, is indeed timely. The campaign by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria
(SON) was long overdue, given the urgent need to save Nigerians from themselves.
The mind-boggling figure reeled out by SON Director-General, Dr. John Akanya,
while launching the campaign in Lagos recently gives cause for serious concern
about safety on our nation's roads.
Akanya attributed the cause of the death of 34,000 Nigerians on the highways
this year alone to burst tyres, which he said were imported used ones.
The dead Nigerians could have contributed to the nation's development if their
lives were not cut short, partly because of the inefficiency of some government
officials who shirked their responsibilities, thus creating room for a
flourishing used tyre market in the country.
This needless carnage on our roads could have been averted if decisive steps had
been taken by the regulatory agencies to prevent the killer tyres from flooding
the markets.
It is appalling that even in the face of the on going campaign, used imported
tyres are still being sold openly all over Lagos and other cities across the
country. Why are we fighting a scourge by merely scratching the surface?
Though buyers of used imported tyres should bear the brunt of the fate that
befalls them, we believe circumstances beyond their control forced them to buy
such tyres which, are cheaper than those manufactured locally.
Agreed, no one could deliberately go out of his way to court death as is the
case with the use tokunbo tyres, buyers of such tyres should be discouraged from
further buying them through a more vigorous campaign and raiding of shops where
they are sold.
Another area SON should focus on are the ports and other points of entry of
these tyres into the country. Customs officials and other security agents must
be more alive to their duties, as it is glaring that these tyres are often
smuggled into the country right under their nose.
If they can't stop the smugglers, they should go to the shops where the used
tyres are sold and apprehend the dealers. The dealers should be able to reveal
the source of their supplies.
The price of locally manufactured tyres should equally be reduced to make them
affordable. It is because local tyre manufacturers have placed high price tags
on their products that most motorists have settled for the devil's alternative,
or rather, tokunbo tyres, that are cheaper, not minding the danger they are
courting.
Local tyre manufacturers should join the ongoing campaign to sensitise
motorists, especially commuter bus drivers, on the danger of using tokunbo
tyres.
The tyre manufacturers could enter into an agreement with drivers' unions to
supply them with tyres at subsidised rate and agree on the modalities for
payment that will be acceptable to all parties.
Another area local tyre makers could explore to boost the sale of their products
and discourage the quest for used imported tyres is to go into a similar
arrangement with corporate organisations with a large number of staff.
Such credit facility will make it possible for even middle cadre staff to buy
tyres at affordable rates without much financial stress.
We believe that if these are taken into consideration by all the stakeholders in
the transportation sector, the carnage on the nation's highways would be reduced
drastically and in good time, too.
P.M. News (Lagos)
December 28, 2004
