Car Dealerships ordered to apply for Digital Licenses from NTSA

The Government has ordered all motor vehicle and motorcycle dealers operating in the country to apply for fresh licensing by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi said in a statement on Friday that the dealers will be required to obtain digital licenses by April 1, 2022.

“Those who qualify, will be issued with a digital licensing cards while existing licenses will be revoked at the expiry of the directive,” said Matiangi.

The directive was occasioned by recommendations by an Inter-Agency Team drawn from Transport and Security sectors that had earlier been established to re-validate all motor vehicles dealers, manufacturers, repairers of motor vehicles and tow truck owners.

The CS further ordered the surrender of all red KG number plates to the NTSA by April 1. The Kenya Garage (KG) usually inscribed in red letters as opposed to the usual black letter against a yellow background will be replaced with KC (Container Freight Stations), KT (Kenya Towing) and green KG plates.

“The Inter-Agency Team has recommended a

digital register of all motor vehicle dealership in the country and the replacement of the red Kenya Garage (KG) plates with KC and Kenya Towing (KT) and green KG plates,” Matiangi stated.

Kenya Garage plate is used by garages and car dealers when they want to put a car on the road that has no insurance.

The plate must be accompanied by a ticket with the trip details including validity. It is also used with some transferable insurance cover. The CS further pointed out that all X number plates stand nullified.

Egypt seeks to manufacture its first electric vehicle in 2023

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi shed

light on the country’s plan to have its first electric vehicle been locally manufactured in 2023.

The president underscored the problem of expected increase in cars over the next years, highlighting the need to replace gasoline-powered vehicles with those working by natural gas or electricity.

In December, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli checked a model of an electric car produced by General Motors, and is expected to be offered in the Egyptian market in 2022.

The prime minister told the representatives of General Motors, and its agent in Egypt, Mansour Group, that the government can promote the sales of the car through various programs and initiatives, and through a number of incentives and exemptions granted to consumers.

Madbouli urged the two companies to prepare a detailed plan on the manufacturing of the car in Egypt so that the government takes the necessary support steps.

The prime minister had held a meeting with them earlier with the attendance of Minister of Finance Mohamed Mait, and Minister of Industry and Trade Nevine Gamea.

During the meeting, CEO of Al Mansour Group Ankush Arora presented a proposal to launch the manufacturing of electric cars in Egypt, which is a goal the government has been working on along with the localization of electric automotive feeding industries.

The CEO of Al Mansour Group also displayed the company’s vision on the factors it perceives as essential for the success of the electrical cars market in Egypt, as those are similar to the incentives adopted in many other countries.

Arora noted that the number of electric vehicles

offered in 2021 has recorded 2.65 million, with a rise of 168 percent compared to 2020. Further, the share of electric vehicles doubled to 14 percent globally up from seven percent in 2020. He added that the electric cars market is estimated to grow 27 percent per annum globally until 2030.

In November, the prime minister met with the CEOs of General Motors and Mansour Group, who said they would begin selecting the features of the electric car to be offered in the Egyptian market.

They also noted that the company is willing to invest around $35 million in Egypt by 2025.

IVECO BUS renews its partnership with SOTRA in the Ivory Coast

A Daily minibus assembly line at the SOTRA INDUSTRIE plant in Koumassi, near Abidjan, started production early this year, making the Ivory Coast the first country in Africa to have a minibus assembly line. The project, which began in 2018, is the most recent outcome of a collaboration between IVECO BUS, an Iveco Group brand and leading manufacturer of buses and coaches, and SOTRA (Société des Transports Abidjanais), the public transit provider for Abidjan and its suburbs, that started nearly 40 years ago.

The inauguration ceremony took place on Monday 10th January and was attended by the Prime Minister of Ivory Coast, his Excellence Patrick Achi, senior representatives of the Ivorian Government, as well as the Italian Ambassador, Arturo Luzzi, and Stéphane Espinasse, Head of Sales & Products, IVECO BUS.

The new plant which has an annual production capacity of 1,000 units and employs 500 people will manufacture the Daily Minibus, specially renamed “Daily Ivoire”, which can have from 16 to 26 seats. The first 60 Daily Ivoire minibuses have already rolled off the production line, powered by natural gas engines

from FPT Industrial, another Iveco Group brand and a renowned leader in propulsion technologies. The minibuses are destined for the Ivory Coast market and for export to other African countries, starting with Western and Central Africa.

This contributes to the Ivorian Government’s

extensive programme for modernising the transport supply and diversifying the national economy through industrialisation. The new minibuses, which will use alternative, environmentally friendly propulsion, also highlight our continued commitment to sustainable mobility in Africa, a core region for IVECO BUS.

Mahindra Scorpio is now the official Police Car in Kenya

For almost two decades Mahindra Scorpio

has been winning Indian hearts and now it has become the official Police car of Kenya. Being one of the most popular SUVs in Kenya, the police department has added 100 Mahindra Scorpio Single Cab pickup trucks in a lease for its official vehicle fleet.

Anand Mahindra is reportedly ‘delighted‘ as he tweeted images of the Mahindra Scorpio Single Cab pickup trucks that have become the official Nairobi Police Service vehicles.

Simba Corp has officially handed over 100 units of Mahindra Scorpio Single Cab Pik up to the National Police Service. As you can see in the images above, the Mahindra Scorpio pickup trucks are painted in police colors – deep blue with red and yellow stripes running at side profiles. There is contrasting white paint on the driver’s cabin. Also, a retractable soft cover is added to the loading deck for carrying people. The single cab Mahindra Scorpio pickup truck is a powerful vehicle that can be easily handled in varied terrains.

The Mahindra Scorpio comes in both SUV and pickup truck guise. Furthermore, the pickup truck comes in both 4×2 and 4×4 configurations. The SUV version is widely used as a police car in India. Now the pickup has become the first vehicle leased to any government service in Kenya. “We’re delighted

with the acquisition of a new fleet of vehicles. Mahindra is a sturdy vehicle and we look forward to serving the nation in these vehicles,” said David Njagi, Chief Transport Officer, National Police Service.

The Mahindra Scorpio has become known for its immense practicality and toughness. It is powered by a 2.2-liter diesel engine that outputs 140 hp and 320 Nm of peak power and torque respectively.

This engine is paired with a sole 6-speed manual transmission. The higher trims also get a 4×4 drive system. The rugged car comes offers great offroading abilities. Currently, the Mahindra Scorpio does not have any direct rivals. However, in the mid-size SUV space, the popular SUV will have to compete with the likes of the Creta and Seltos, depending on the customer’s needs. The company is also planning to bring an upgraded version of the popular SUV to India.