As the number of vehicles on our roadways increases annually, so does the demand for tyres, a commodity monitored by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) for conformance to quality and labelling requirements, which ultimately ensure user safety.
Since the inception of the Product Compliance Programme in the mid-1990s, the GNBS has been monitoring tyres based on the requirements of available national standards. Currently, tyres imported and offered for sale are required to comply with the National Standards, GYS 194: 2024 Specifications for Pneumatic Tyres for highway commercial vehicles and GYS 67: 2017 Requirements for Pneumatic passenger car tyres.
GYS 67:2017 specifies the requirements for new and used pneumatic passenger car tyres, along with their storage conditions. It does not apply to tyres for highway commercial vehicles.
This tyre standard addresses size and construction characteristics, and service description, which includes load index and speed categories. Tyre marking, choice of tyre sizes, storage conditions and inspection and selection requirements are also specified in the document. Importantly, the standard states that new tyres shall not be more than two years old from the date of manufacture at the time of importation into Guyana. It also states that tyres that are six years or older shall not be sold or offered for sale in Guyana.
Meanwhile, GYS 194:2024 specifies physical dimensions, performance and marking requirements for new, used and retreaded pneumatic tyres for highway commercial vehicles. Specifically, this standard outlines tyres designation including dimensional and constructional characteristics, tyre construction codes and service condition characteristics. Additionally, the standard provides guidance on the inspection and selection of new, retreaded and used tyres and requirements for sampling and testing to determine quality.
Based on these requirements, tyres are examined by GNBS Inspectors at ports of entry, bonds and sale outlets for labelling, quality and storage requirements. During 2024, Inspectors conducted 392 import inspections and 242 surveillance inspections for tyres. During these inspections, 313,516 used tyres and 185,065 new tyres were examined. A total of 5,335 had to be destroyed for noncompliance.
Conducting routine surveillance inspections of sale outlets and storage bonds remains a crucial activity of the GNBS to prevent inappropriate storage which can result in dry rot and other defects over time. Deterioration can also result from exposure to chemicals, high temperatures, sunlight, etc. and these are detected during surveillance monitoring.
Finally, importers and dealers of tyres are reminded to register with the GNBS for 2025. Registration is a crucial part of the Bureau’s monitoring process, which ensures consumer protection.
For further information, kindly contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066 or 219-0069.
