Florida Senator Victor Crist's recently proposed bill to ban the use of retreaded tires by most trucks in Florida is now a dead issue, according to Harvey Brodsky, managing director of the Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB).
Bill S912 would have prohibited the use of retreaded tires on truck tractors, pole trailers or semitrailers operated on Florida's public roads, streets, or highways. (See "Florida bill would ban retreaded truck tires from public roads and highways," Jan. 27, 2007.)
A required House companion bill was not forthcoming by the March deadline, and this effectively tabled the Senate bill.
"On behalf of our members and the entire trucking industry in Florida, we are pleased that this is now a dead issue," says Brodsky. "However, we stand ready to meet with Senator Crist anytime he wishes to take us up on our original offer to create a taskforce in Florida to explore ways to reduce the amount of tire debris on Florida highways.
"We thought Senator Crist's bill was ill-advised from the get-go, and we look forward to hearing from him any time he wishes to go ahead with the taskforce, which we believe should be made up of representatives from the retread industry, the trucking industry, the Florida Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation, the Florida Trucking Association, the Tire Industry Association, the American Trucking Associations, and any other interested parties.
"TRIB stands ready to spearhead the taskforce if asked," adds Brodsky.
