Tyred was launched by Frances Molloy, whose 18-year-old son Michael died in a coach crash on his way back from a music festival in September 2012 along with two other people. Tony McDonough reports
A Liverpool-based campaign to ban dangerously old tyres on all passenger service vehicles made a breakthrough on Tuesday when the Government agreed to consider a change in the law.
Tyred was launched by Frances Molloy, whose 18-year-old son Michael, a talented musician, died in a coach crash on his way back from a music festival in September 2012, along with Kerry Ogden, 23, and the 53-year-old driver Colin Daulby.
The tragedy was caused by a tyre on the coach that was almost 20 years old and Frances, started the Tyred campaign to bring in legislation that would prevent tyres older than 10 years from being used on buses and coaches in the UK.
Until now, attempts to raise the issue in Parliament had met with opposition but on Tuesday Frances was contacted by Transport Secretary Jesse Norman and Leader of the House of Commons, Chris Grayling.
They told her the Government will shortly be consulting on options to ban tyres over ten years old from buses, coaches, lorries and mini-buses, in addition to options regarding tyres over ten years old on taxis and private hire vehicles.
Frances said: “This is an incredibly important and momentous step for the Tyred campaign and one which is the culmination of years of tireless work.
“I am completely astounded and overwhelmed by the support we have received from thousands of people over the years, all of whom have together made it possible for us to change the law in honour of Michael, Kerry and Colin.”