UAE motorists hire new tyres to pass registration test

Many motorists have been hiring tyres for one or two days just to pass registration tests, following which they get back their old ones, a tyre shop owner told Khaleej Times.

According to him, most of the motorists rush to his shop during summers to buy used tyres at low prices.

Meanwhile, authorities in Sharjah asked heavy truck drivers to ensure the safety of their tyres, and replace them if they have expired, or developed cracks.

Explosion of heavy truck tyres could cause serious accidents, even death, according to a police official.

Lt. Saud Al Sheba, head of awareness department at Sharjah Police, said that police on Tuesday organized an inspection and awareness campaign to ensure safety of tyres used by motorists on Sharjah roads.

During the campaign, the police would inspect trucks' faulty tyres, and drivers of trucks having counterfeited or worn tyres would be fined and their vehicles seized for one week as a disciplinary measure.

Al Sheba explained that road surfaces become very hot during summer, and can cause an old and worn-out tyre to burst. This can also cause the vehicle to overturn.

Police patrol vehicles have caught motorists who had dressed their old tyres with an extra covering to make them appear new.

A large number of motorists were fined for using invalid tyres but had passed inspections a day to two ago, and sometimes barely a few hours back.

The motorists admitted they rented tyres from outlets in industrial areas to pass the tests.

"Motorists who use old tyres will be slapped with a fine of Dh200. Their vehicles will be impounded for a week," he said.

• Sharjah

Afkar Ali Ahmed

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com