TheDriver_August2018

Who benefits when trains burn?

MINISTER of Transport Blade Nzimande told media he believed "there are elements of serious organised crime" behind the trains burning in Cape Town.

"We are talking to the police now to establish whether there are any commercial benefits for the people who burn trains of whatever sort,” said Nzimande.

He said the task team investigating the arson attacks would report back by the end of August.

“We have a transport imbizo in September and we want to listen to communities, their problems and what they think should be done,” said Nzimande. -- DR.

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News to inspire professional drivers of all size vehicles in southern Africa

China ready with robot taxis WHILE taxi bosses in South Africa have stepped up their battles to win control of routes, two Chinese companies have built 100 self-driving minibuses.

The companies Apollo and software developer Baidu developed the buses in record time and next plan to prove the robot taxis in Chinese cities from 2019.

At least six similar robot minibuses are already being tested in American and European cities, but Apollo is now the biggest builder of these self-drive transporters.

The full-electric robot buses can seat and stand up to 14 passengers and ride on a flat platform in which its batteries are housed.

Instead of a human drive, the Apolong uses laser radar, millimetre wave radar, high definition and stereo cameras. The Chinese bus is also heading to Japan next year,

The future of public transport: China's Apolong minibus drives itself and its makers aims to have the robot buses driving on highways by 2021. Photo: Newsbytes.

imported by SB Drive, the autonomous vehicle wing of the SoftBank Group.

“In Japan, public transportation is facing a number of challenges, including traffic network reduction, driver shortage and driver ageing,” said SB Drive’s Yuki Saji said in a statement. “We expect

self-driving technology will solve these problems in the near future. Launching Apolong is an important step to maintain public transportation in Japan.”

Apollo said it aims to have the Apolong mini-buses run on “simple city roads” by 2020 and on highways by 2021.

Like ride hailing has

totaly changed the metered taxi business, these robot taxis will change the minibus business.

They offer clients safe and predictable transport and they will get cheaper every year. Taxi bosses and drivers will resist this technology like they did when they burned the card readers. But clients wil vote with their feet. -- DR

August 201 8

Gun-free taxi ranks

TAXI bosses and the Gauteng department of roads and transport have made presentations before the Gauteng's roads and transport portfolio committee.

This after the spike in taxi assasinations during July, which saw: - the murder of a taxi boss affiliated with the Alexandra, Randburg, Midrand and Sandton Taxi Association was gunned down outside his home at his in Alexandra on Monday, 23 July, - 1 2 drivers died after an ambush of a taxi carrying 1 7 people on 21 July. The drivers were all affiliated with the Ivory Park Taxi Association in Gauteng and was returning from a funeral near Ematimatolo in northen KwaZulu-Natal.

Over 250 rounds were shot during the ambush.

At the talkshop between taxi bosses and government, one of the ideals was for "gun free taxi ranks". -- Driver Reporter.

Bitjan hatches

Families that pay over R2000 a month to taxis and umalume can afford these cars

EVERY morning, long before dawn, most families start the day by urging the sleepy children to move faster, for the umalume already waiting at the gate and then grabbing a bite beore walking to the long queues at the rank.

Typically, a family with three kids will be paying over R2,500 a month on transport.

This amount covers the installment and fuel on a brand new small hatch, especially if the bitjan hatch is bought as a demo.

Here are the three cheapest cars that present a better alternative to queuing at the rank.

Renault Kwid — R127,900

Demo models with a few thousand kilometres on the clock go for under R120 000.

For those who insist on brand new, Renault offers a zero deposit deal and includes a year’s insurance for R1 999 a month for the entry-level Kwid.

The monthly payment includes R1 207,50 for once-off initiation fee and excludes a monthly service fee of R69 per month as well as on-road costs.

page 2, August 2018

This is really a fantastic deal, considering that most people paying about R50 for a oneway fare to get to work will pay over R2 000 for the month’s taxi fares.

As for safety, the Kwid’s crumple zone’s and Renault’s leading seat belt tech make it relatively safer than a Tazz, Golf or 1400, but don’t take on anything heavier; for the Kwid is the lightest of the three cars listed here at 1 105 kg.

Yet it has the bigger boot at 300 litres with the seats up and 1 115 litres with the back row down, for those who need to load more.

first in his category of entrylevel cars for first-time buyers, as the little Datsun scored best overall in the service, repair and crash parts sections respectively.

The Go also comes with oneyear free insurance and an optional service plan. While all three cars here have 50 kW engines, the Go has the most torque at 104 Newtons (the Kwid has 91 and the Celerio 90).

Renault Kwid

Datsun Go.

Suzuki Celerio — R138,500

A demonstration model Celerio now sell from R123 900.

Thanks to giving its Datsun Go 90 Newtons at a low 3 500 rpm — R137,200 and lots of space, the Celerio A demo Datsun sells for less has won several industry than R115 000 — making this awards This include the Conthe cheapest small hatch you sumer Awards powered by can get almost new in SA. WesBank and CAR Top 12.

The Go also trumps the Kwid The new Celerio comes with a and Celerio when it comes to promotional five-year or spare parts costs. Pinetown 200 000 km mechanical resident Malcolm Kinsey’s warranty. annual parts basket report the Service plans are optional on Datsun GO as South Africa’s the entry levels, but tstandard most affordable car to fix when on the GL. it comes to typical accident The Celerio rides on 14-inch damage and wear and tear wheels compared to the 13items. Kinsey also put the Go inchers of the Kwid and Go.

Suzuki Celerio

"Cheap, small cars are not save against big cars, but cost, not safety is the main concern ofmost families. " Sibonelo Myeni, Ukhozi fm

Its simple: higher pay = safer drivers

Trucker-turned-professor shows statistics that link higher pay to fewer accidents on America's and Australia's long distance routes IN his book 'Sweatshops on employers, labor organisations will trade labour for Wheels' former long haul and 25 governments signed a leisure, working fewer trucker and now associate tripartite global consensus hours and thereby professor Michale Belzer said agreement at the International reducing crashes and low wages for truckers continue improving highway safety." Labour Office in Geneva, to cause tired, aggresive drivers Switzerland.

In Australia the Transport who pose a danger on USA "All parties agreed that low Workers Union has called on roads. rates paid to truck and bus the the federal government to In his book, published in 2000, companies and their drivers bring back a road safety he stated the sweatshops a watchdog that would mandate contributes to unnecessarily hundred years ago continue minimum wages and working dangers on the world’s today in the turcking industry, conditions for interstate truck highways, pledging to conduct with long hours, low wages, and drivers in order to increase truck further research on the problem. unsafe workplaces.

"In my view, a safe rates driver safety.

"In the years since programme – raising pay rates Belzer said Australia had a deregulation in 1980, median road safety watchdog, the Road by about 50 percent and paying earnings have dropped 30% and The more things change, the more they stay the same. In this Safety Remuneration Tribunal, drivers for all working time – most long-haul truckers earn would go a long way toward but it was scrapped in 2016, 4 file photo, drivers protest against the "war on workers" at less than half of pre-regulation 201 reducing this risk and the cost based on a private consulting Long Beach, USA. Four years later, wages are still low and wages. Work weeks average report that claimed that the link borne by victims of crashes," America is still wondering why so few young people want to take on the responsibility of managing a half a million rands' worth of more than sixty hours. said Belzer. between pay rates and safety assets for peanuts. Photo: Press Telegram Today, America's long-haul was fiction, despite the report truckers are working harder and just in America, but around the them to drive longer hours and actually showing a 50% decline Former long world. earning less than at any time make a bit more money. Paying in fatal heavy truck crashes after haul trucker, Dr Belzer studies show a during the last four decades," drivers more will see them take the tribunal was established in professor Michael H. strong link between pay and wrote Belzer 18 years ago. time off to be safer drivers.

2012.

Belzer. safety. He said the current rates "We calculated that, at 60 "Safe rates are not just an His latest study show things have not improved for truckers. per kilometre sees drivers use cents per mile, (about Australian or American Photo: Wikipedia If anything, they got worse not every loophole available to R4,90 / km) truck drivers problem. In 2015, trucking The mines already operates giant remote-control trucks in were remotely controlled by an Australia and Chile, which are operator over in Perth, over also controlled by an operator 1 440 km away. The train will over a 1 000 km away. cover over 8 million kilometers a year.

Drivers 'in transition'

Rio Tinto successfuly tests robot train, 'transitioning drivers'

GLOBAL mining group Rio Tinto delivery the rist 28,000 tons of iron ore without a driver on July 1 0. The ore wagon were pulled by three

loco's, with no humans on board for the over 1 75 miles from Rio Tinto’s Tom Price mine to the port of Cape Lambert. The locomotives

What do you call a Mexican who lost his car? Carlos!

"We are working closely with drivers during this transition period to prepare them for new ways of working as a result of automation,” said Rio Ore's MD over rail and ports, Ivan Vella. -- DR.

August 2018 page 3

Cross at border crossings

Government officials in Mozambique and South Africa forget each form have to be filled in by 1 ,300 drivers a day HIGH risk loads like alcohol number of unnecessary and cigarettes were the focus inspections, many other talks between South African regulatory bodies are seeing a and Mozambique border inspection as a necessary representivatives. part of compliance.

Barbara Mommen, boss at "This takes us backwards and the Maputo Corridor Logistics is the single biggest contributor Initiative(MCLI), said the Nonto the cost of goods, Tariff Barriers to Trade particularly imports into Bilateral Forum was jointly Mozambique by road from hosted by the Department of South Africa. We cannot ignore Trade and Industry South Africa that these imports include some (dti) through Trade Invest very basic staple foods, and Africa and the Mozambican once again, the poor are This delay was caused by a fuel price protest on the N3, but each compromised, business is less Customs Authority at the dti new piece of required at customs cause the same delays. campus in Pretoria. competitive, goods cost more, Garcia border post daily.

Both by government agencies crucial "in the melee of and the ripple effect continues," legislation regarding cross "In our view, despite the and SOEs in Mozambique said Mommen. considerable efforts of the proposed changes and updates border trade".

Her office is still working She said officials entirely South African Revenue Service through all the presentations to trade regulations that affect overlook the delays each piece and the Mozambican Revenue from the meeting, and The certain products; particularly of paper they issue have on the Authority to simplify and speed Driver hopes to next report those in the high risk loads.

1,300 drivers that moving up the electronic update to Mommen said such talks good news of less delays at all through the Lebombo/Ressano processes, and to reduce the between the burocrats was border crossings. -- DR. a d an t to bu y m ilkk hi m How the first donuts were made. God was making dumplings.

M y co-d riverr'shawsifenowt en as I . ed rn tu re Angel Gabriel says they taste nice, but why does each one ofa Smile. week late do you cope?" S ez he, "n ah hole.

God just checks old Gabe with a raised eyebrow. "wen a, how I ju st switche d to Cre m ora! " "Ah", sez Gabe, "coz why you are holy!" broe , I'm fin e.cou rier driver over and checks Its Nd o and Kobus che cks the tou rists bun gee Cop pul ls a w hig h ARE you ?" Let jum pin g.

"Ho s. eye opy dro , red the s go try tha t, says Nd o. Ha ikona says Kobus the 'hi, its , cer offi "No er, driv the born coz the rub ber broke, I ain 't gon na die . I wa s he asks. Tun es tha t wa y! are you ?" how best

muthi

A young new teacher sees a boy all alone on one side ofthe field while the other boys are playing soccer.

"Why don't you go and play with the boys over there?" she asks. "I can't, " he says. "Yes you can. You can do anything you set your mind to!" she encouraged. "No I can't, I must stay here, coz why I am the goalie!" he said.

August 2018 page 4

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ANC FINALLY SAYS END E-TOLLS

THE new deputy chair of the ANC in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, on 26 July promised on talk radio 702 to end the e-toll system "immediately" and "scrap the debate forever".

This nice surprise for driver comes after intense discussion at the ANC provincial conference at the weekend. “The reality is these Etolls are unpopular with our people and as a popular movement, how do we go the opposite direction of that particular feeling? We have taken a decision, let those e-tolls be terminated and let the team that will manage this process engage on those modalities to check the costs, the running and all other related matters.�

Lesufi said the gantries can be used to fight crime .

"Immediately" for the ANC means some time after 2020, for Lesufi first has to win the 201 9 general election in the Gauteng province and then convince both Treasury and Sanral to end the system that they built in 201 4 and which currently sees about R230 million added to its total unpaid bills of R9,2 billion monthly. -- DR.