WHILE motorists are battling potholed roads, thanks to heavy rains in recent months, tyre companies have reported doing a roaring trade.
Companies offering tyre repairs and replacements said that rainfall like the weekend’s impressive 43mm in Nelson Mandela Bay was often accompanied by an increase in repair work and new tyre purchases.
Barkhuizen Tyre Services manager Brad Wanbig said cars driven through potholes at high speed often resulted in the tyres having to be replaced.
"There’s definitely a lot of it when the roads are slick with rain,” he said.
"Drivers usually damage the sidewall of the tyre, and when that happens you can’t repair it mostly.”
He said new tyres could cost drivers anywhere from R400 to R1500 each, with rim repairs running from R200 to R350.
Tiger Wheel and Tyre assistant manager Shaun Smith said pothole damage was a common repair job at the Newton Park shop.
