Kumasi, Nov 26, GNA - A campaign to bring sanity on the roads as Christmas draws close was taken to a new level with a day's seminar in Kumasi on tyre selection and maintenance for transport sector operators in the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions.

Transport managers and purchasing officers from public and private sector organizations, tyre and car dealers, road safety campaigners and the security agencies attended.

Among the topics discussed were "Tyre Processing" "Functions and Construction", "Size and Designation", "Changing of Rim Size", "Maintenance" and "Causes of irregular wear of Tyres." Mr Benson Oduro, Ashanti Regional Area Manager of La Compagnie Francaises de la Afrique Occidentale (CFAO), distributors of Bridgestone Tyres, organizers of the programme, said right selection of tyres could help to significantly reduce road accidents and ensure safety of passengers. He said tyre importation also needed to be regulated to make sure that those that do not meet safety standards are not brought in. He said the situation where all sorts of tyres are allowed into the country was a contributory factor to the unacceptably high rate of road accident deaths and injuries.

CFAO's Regional Technical Manager, Samuel Lawrence Baiden, urged transport operators to be more particular about the selection and maintenance of their vehicle tyres. They should not just focus on regular changing of "oil and fuel filters", they must see to it that all safety devices are functional. Mr George Karikari Bonsu, the Sales Manager, spoke of the company's resolve to aid the fight against road accidents and urged drivers to adopt safety measures to keep the roads safe. 26 Nov 09