METROLOGICAL CONTROL OF TYRE PRESSURE GAUGES: A CASE STUDY OF KINONDONI MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, TANZANIA

Monitoring the inflation of tyre pressure plays a significant role in ensuring safety of motor vehicle users both private and public. Accurate measurement of tyre inflation pressure requires a tyre pressure gauge, which is consistent and that complies with other metrological characteristics. Proper metrological control of the manufactured and imported gauges is paramount to measure the accuracy of the tyre pressure. The control of conformity to metrological characteristics for new and those in use is still uncertain, their accuracy is also not known to both users and their customers who inflate pressure in their motor vehicle tyres. This study assessed the legal metrological control of the tyre inflation pressure gauges in Dar es Salaam. The assessment was done by taking a sample of 255 bus drivers, 159 inflation pressure gauge users and also 159 inflation pressure gauges located in Kinondoni. The results reveal that users are aware of calibration and verification of their gauges. It was indicated that 89.9% of 159 respondents had no idea of calibrating their instruments while 10.1% were aware, 96.9% never attended any training regarding calibration. About 98.1% had never been visited by any regulatory authority for calibration and verification.  It was observed that only 18.2% of 159 tested instruments were accurate while the remaining were deviating from 40 % and 30% for positive and negative deviation respectively. The government should consider adding the instruments in the list of those subjected to legal metrological control to have accurate tyre pressure inflation gauge. The additional of the instruments will enable the regulatory authorities to carry out calibration and verification to the manufactured and imported tyre pressure inflation gauges in the country and getting rid of counterfeit and inaccurate instruments