50 signatures reached
To: The Secretary of State for Transport: Patrick McLoughlin
Stop the use of Old Tyres on Buses and Coaches
To make it illegal for buses and coaches to have tyres fitted that are older than 6 years old and to have tyres scrapped if they are 10 years, old regardless of their outward condition. This simple legislation could be implemented as part of the annual M.O.T. test.
Why is this important?
In September 2012, my nephew Michael Molloy was one of three people killed on a coach travelling back from Bestival Music Festival on the Isle of Wight. Kerry Ogden and the coach driver Colin Daulby were also killed. They were coming home to Liverpool.
The coach crashed into a tree because the front tyre blew. The tyre was 20 years old. Unbelievably this tyre was not illegal because there is no law to say how old a tyre should be. It cost Michael, Kerry and Colin their lives.
In addition, the coach was a 52 seater but, illegally, there were 53 people travelling on it - all in their teens and twenties. Many suffered devastating injuries and Colin trusted his employers to provide him with a safe vehicle. Kerry was only 23 years old, my nephew, Michael, was just 18 years old. He was a young, talented musician and songwriter with his whole life ahead of him. He would still be here today if the use of old tyres had been illegal.
The Transport Minister, Patrick McLoughlin, has refused to act on research undertaken in the USA which clearly highlights the dangers around using old tyres, He states that there is not enough evidence to legislate. It is hard not to conclude from his response that Mr. McLoughlin has bowed to pressure from businesses such as coach companies and second hand tyre retailers not to change the law as it could cost them money. Instead he feels it is enough to issue guidelines about the age of tyres. It is, of course, companies such as Merseypride Travel - the coach company who put profit before lives -who would simply ignore these guidelines. This is why the Traffic Commissioner, Beverley Bell has had to act and remove their licence indefinitely as they are not fit to run a coach company. How can we be sure that other unscrupulous coach and bus companies won't operate in such an irresponsible and despicable way? The answer is that - without legislation - we can't.
It is predominantly children, young people, elderly people and people who can't afford a car who are the most frequent users of public transport. The use of old tyres has to stop for everyone's sake because every time somebody steps on a coach or bus or allows their children to travel on this type of transport, they could be putting their lives at risk..
Please give your support to this important campaign.
Thank you.
The coach crashed into a tree because the front tyre blew. The tyre was 20 years old. Unbelievably this tyre was not illegal because there is no law to say how old a tyre should be. It cost Michael, Kerry and Colin their lives.
In addition, the coach was a 52 seater but, illegally, there were 53 people travelling on it - all in their teens and twenties. Many suffered devastating injuries and Colin trusted his employers to provide him with a safe vehicle. Kerry was only 23 years old, my nephew, Michael, was just 18 years old. He was a young, talented musician and songwriter with his whole life ahead of him. He would still be here today if the use of old tyres had been illegal.
The Transport Minister, Patrick McLoughlin, has refused to act on research undertaken in the USA which clearly highlights the dangers around using old tyres, He states that there is not enough evidence to legislate. It is hard not to conclude from his response that Mr. McLoughlin has bowed to pressure from businesses such as coach companies and second hand tyre retailers not to change the law as it could cost them money. Instead he feels it is enough to issue guidelines about the age of tyres. It is, of course, companies such as Merseypride Travel - the coach company who put profit before lives -who would simply ignore these guidelines. This is why the Traffic Commissioner, Beverley Bell has had to act and remove their licence indefinitely as they are not fit to run a coach company. How can we be sure that other unscrupulous coach and bus companies won't operate in such an irresponsible and despicable way? The answer is that - without legislation - we can't.
It is predominantly children, young people, elderly people and people who can't afford a car who are the most frequent users of public transport. The use of old tyres has to stop for everyone's sake because every time somebody steps on a coach or bus or allows their children to travel on this type of transport, they could be putting their lives at risk..
Please give your support to this important campaign.
Thank you.
