Author:focus-on-transport
It is with sadness that we report on the passing of Barney Curtis, a long-standing veteran of the local and southern African transport industry. Curtis was the founder and previous executive director of the Federation of Eastern and Southern African Road Transport Association (Fesarta). Mike Fitzmaurice, executive director of Fesarta, notes that tributes and condolences have been received from Dar es Salaam, Lusaka, Gaborone, Harare and Johannesburg – which bear witness to the breadth of his influence and the rich […]
Ever Star Industries is entering a new era with its popular Powerstar brand of trucks, as the company launches to market its FT series of light- and medium-duty vehicles. Observers with a keen eye will notice that the FT’s grille carries the Foton badge and that, indeed, the FT looks like the light-duty Foton models offered previously in South Africa. This is because, in choosing a light-duty original equipment manufacturer with which to partner, Foton came out trumps. Bob Wang, […]
We speak to two prominent players in the local medium commercial vehicle (MCV) segment to find out how it is faring at the moment. According to Ziyad Gaba, head of Fuso Trucks Southern Africa, the MCV market threw up a surprise at the beginning of 2017 and declined year on year. “Fuso’s market share in the segment, however, is showing positive signs, and we expect to continue growing in the segment in 2018,” he adds. “Our Canter range, which makes […]
Flair and passion, as only the Italians could do it, combined with some hands-on, local gees, have driven Iveco’s South African journey over the past 25 years. GAVIN MYERS looks back in celebration. It was a chap by the name of Dr Porelli who first introduced the Iveco brand to South Africa in 1993. The first vehicle to be sold was the Daily, which immediately found traction, and remains an exceptionally strong player in its segment today. The next step […]
You find yourself in the middle of an intersection trying to make sense of the chaos. Your vehicle is smashed to bits, thanks to an inattentive driver who ran a red light, and tow trucks are closing in from every direction. It can happen to anyone… So what should you, or your drivers, do in such an event? The Automobile Association (AA) advises all motorists to be aware of their rights to avoid falling prey to unscrupulous towing operators. “We […]
The 37th Southern African Transport Conference (SATC) will be taking place from Monday, July 9, to Thursday, July 12, at the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) International Convention Centre in Tshwane. Under this year’s theme: “Towards a desired transport future: safe, sufficient and affordable”, delegates can look forward to plenary addresses from various international and local transport experts, who will address this burning issue and provide viable solutions. Other sessions will cover interesting topics such as (but not […]
The new Volkswagen (VW) Crafter is officially available in South Africa, bringing with it the title of 2017 International Van of the Year. As the first Crafter to be wholly designed and built by VW since 1996, this new model moves the game on in terms of flexibility, technology and operation. According to VW, the new Crafter is based on a completely new design concept that caters to the needs of various customer groups. Currently available in six basic derivatives with […]
Mahindra South Africa has begun operation at its new vehicle-assembly plant at the Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone in KwaZulu-Natal, where it will assemble the complete range of Mahindra Pik Up single- and double-cab bakkies – its single best-selling commercial vehicle. The facility represents an initial investment of R10 million in facilities and equipment. According to Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa, the decision to assemble vehicles in Durban follows the company’s exceptional growth since it first established an […]
Consistently one of the top-two selling bakkies in South Africa each month, the Ford Ranger will come in for a significant refresh in 2019. However, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has already revealed some details… “The current-generation Ford Ranger has been a phenomenal success, both in South Africa and internationally, and the updated models that will be released next year will raise the bar further in the highly competitive light commercial vehicle sector,” comments Ockert Berry, vice-president operations, Ford […]
Through the Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire, operator of the N1N4 highway, Total South Africa has donated Road Safety Cubes to eight primary schools along the route, to teach children the importance of road safety. The Cube road-safety programme, an initiative of Total worldwide, involves using practical demonstrations and interactive sessions to educate young learners about road safety and create awareness of the road rules and signs. Bakwena is sponsoring all the training sessions and implementation activities. “These educational aids are […]
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