Clarification needed
The article by Gulf News on new tyres’ manufacturing date to be 150 days at the time of fitting is wrong and misleading. As per ESMA (Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology), tyres have 5 years shelf life in GCC countries. Ideally tyres should be sold within 2 years from manufacturing and changed within 3 years from use. However, customers should insist on good quality tyres imported by official importers as per Gulf Standard Guidelines and further validated in UAE by ESMA through RFID stickers on tyres. This article can cause serious damage to tyre distributors who are already losing millions each year due to misconceptions spread about tyre ageing. It would be better if the article specifies or encourages customers to fix tyres through organised companies or their authorised retailers. There is no law or rule specifying 150 days from manufacturing date and the person quoted can hardly be described as an expert. In fact, from the picture, it appears to be a shop dealing in scrap tyres. We request correction to be published immediately.
From Mr Vikas Anand GM, Tyres and Batteries Department, Yokohama
Dubai
Clarity of facts
It is extremely important that your team get correct information with fact checking before such articles are published as you are regarded as a trusted source of information. The information that you have published here is not true, tyres are not like tomatoes thus do not go bad. It is written that you should not buy tyres if they are more than 150 days old, am just interested to know where you got this information from as it takes 150 days to get the tires from the factory to the UAE. Certain brands such as marshal from Korea even give 5 years warranty. All of us in the tire industry are furious from this article.
By Mr. Hamid Moaref, Marketing manager, Orange Auto
Dubai
New specifications?
Being in the tyre industry I am so perplexed to see these kind of unwarranted statements by someone who is not technically qualified and a very responsible news paper carrying the news! RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) has never specified a 150 days deadline for buying tyres. Logically a tyre to be available within 150 days of production seems very difficult. From the time of placing an order and tyres reaching the warehouse of the distributor will take more than 150 days. Moreover distributors cannot manage the logistical part (by the time tyres reaching the dealers) to comply with this. Being a responsible newspaper with the highest readership, you are misleading all of them who look at it from a layman’s point of view.
From Mr Angelo Nigli Regional Head of Sales, Apollo Tyres (Middle East) FZE
Dubai
What are the laws?
I read the Gulf News article about the age of tyres over the weekend, and I have to say I have a few concerns on it. Before I begin I would like to point out that I do appreciate the newspaper showing concern about this industry.
However, the article, sorry to say, is deeply irresponsible to the environment, the end user, the shop keepers, dealers, authorised agents and the manufacturers. Just to begin, on average, depending on where the tyre is made it takes anywhere from 45 to 60 days for shipment until when it arrives at the Jebel Ali port.
So, I do not even understand the logic behind the article headline. Should all the companies just throw away all the existing stock and order tyres if and when the customer wants? Do you understand what it will do for the pricing if all tyres are ordered this way? Do you know the production cycle of factories, not all the tyres are made all year around?
Also, Gulf News did not even mention the proper laws concerning to the tyres set by UAE government like RFID requirements on tyres.I would like you discuss further about the real dangers of what happens in the tyre industry instead of a very concerning article that was published through a source of a random mechanic.
From Mr Wajahath Mirza Marketing Manager, Al Hawai Tyre Co.
Dubai
n Editor’s Note: With reference to the article published in Nation section, the report clearly states the Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) stipulation — that the validity of a tyre is for five years. The ‘150 days’ is a suggestion by a local expert. At no point does it state that it is a rule and the article then goes on to look into some of the bad experiences that readers have had. So, the purpose of the report is more about the experiences of these readers and to create awareness about that. At no point does it mislead or is factually inaccurate. Nevertheless, we take all concerns onboard for future reference.
