TheDriver Sept2018

Finally, electronic booking system for all drivers' licences

THE Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) plans to launch an online booking system to combat corruption in issuing of driver’s licences to learner drivers.

The new system will enable the learner driver to choose the date, time and the town where they wish to take their tests by logging on an online application and finalise prebookings in five to 1 0 minutes.

The system will also be used by drivers wanting to renew their driving licence cards or professional driver's permits The system will first be available and tested in Gauteng and before the RTMC start implementing the system in all SA's provinces.-- DR.

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

August 201 8

UD Quon and Quester drivers go to Japan Unique competition recognises and rewards ultimate drivers and their fleet managers

UD Trucks Southern Africa announced the winners of its Extra Mile Challenge driver competition.

Tatiya Sisilia from Clover SA in Johannesburg won the Quon category, while Mauritian trucker Chuttur Sunilduth from Serveng Ltd Mauritius won the Quester category. Both drivers and their managers will be travelling to the UD Experience Centre in Ageo, Japan in October to compete against UD Trucks fleet drivers from around the world to be crowned the best of the best.

The UD Extra Mile Challenge is UD Trucks’ global driver competition and now in its fourth year. It uniquely simulates a typical transport cycle from pre-inspection, fuel efficiency and safe driving to parking skills – all evaluating a driver’s skill to business reality. The competition, which saw 15 drivers race each other to find delivery points and pick up parcels, for the first time included drivers from countries outside of SA namely Zimbabwe, Mauritius and

operational costs, care about the truck, the cargo and the environment, and put safety first at all times,” Swanepoel said. “ Ultimate drivers aren’t

simply born with exceptional driving skills. They

must go through a period of learning, spending time on the road, perfecting their skills, kilometre after kilometre.

“Our aim is to help accelerate this process to allow more drivers to become ultimate drivers as quickly as possible,” Swanepoel said.

Quon Winners

1 . Tatiya Sisilia, Clover SA 2. Thembela Sithela, Dairy Farmers of SA 3. Norman Zwane,Air Products (SA) Quester winners facing a severe challenge: a lack 1 . Chuttur Sunilduth. Serveng of skilled drivers. Our goal is to Ltd Mauritius help our customers attract good 2. Robson Chazuka, Irvine's drivers and to make each one of Zimbabwe them an ultimate driver.

3. Benedict Mabunda, Vital “Ultimate drivers save fuel and Fleets.

The bossman at UD Trucks South Africa, Gert Swanepoel, hands prizes to travel to Japan to Quester winner Chutter Sinuldth from Serveng Mauritius, (left) and Tatiya Sisilia from Clover SA's depot in Johannesburg, who won in the Quon.

Namibia.

Gert Swanepoel, MD of UD Trucks Southern Africa said drivers are unsung heroes.

Around the world transportation companies are

R18/litre for Christmas

Taxi drivers must prepare for a high fuel prices of R20 as the new normal

8 arrested after Cape taxi driver shot

OWNER drivers, which includes all minibus taxi drivers, can expect to pay R1 8 per litre of fuel before December and up to R20 at the end of 201 9.

And with the higher fuel price pushing up all expenses, peoplee are travelling less.

Research company Lightstone Explore's MD Trevor Holmes, said all drivers all already travelling less as fuel prices rise.

From January the average weekend travel declined even more than the average weekday travel. When

comparing different activities of 1 000 shopping centres and more than 3 200 service stations across South Africa, a sharp decline was seen from 201 7 to 201 8.

The service station industry is not showing any positive upturn with June 201 8 being the worst month over the last 1 2 months. A 1 0% decrease in service station stops is experienced between July 201 7 and June 201 8. The increase in March 201 8 is possibly the result of Easter weekend travel.

BP, Sasol and Total experienced a bigger drop in

visits, and Engen had the lowest drop. Engen and Shell had a marginal increase in market share from Q3 in 201 7 to Q2 in 201 8 “We must remember that service stations fill a dual purpose of various retail activities and of filling up with fuel,” explains Holmes. “The drop in visits is therefore indicative of people not requiring as much fuel as often and also in part that the retail activity at these service stations has decreased.

“The patterns seen in driver behaviours are an indicator of what is be expected of the A disused biofuel pump in months to come.” -- IRST-DR Howick, KwaZulu-Natal,

WESTERN Cape police have arrested eight suspects for the fatal shooting of a 40-year-old man in an apparent taxi turf war in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town on Saturday afternoon, August 25.

The attackers arrived in a taxi carrying the stickers of the rival association and drove off in it. Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said flying squad officers stopped the white taxi on the highway.

Local taxi operators said the shooting happened after a meeting between two taxi associations and prospective members.

AS South African drivers braces With rand still around 1 5 to the He added India has a surplus alternative fuel.

Back in south Africa, the “While they were standing for fuel prices to rise again next dollar, this means fuel prices of sugar cane which is bound to can only go up in South Africa.

Cannabis Development Council outside their vehicles, a month, India restated its aim to increase this year and his The same applies to India, marked taxi association grow fuel using sugar, crop department plans to ferment and of South Africa said India is on where the minister of Road the right track, but should use husks, wheat and rice. refine surplus Blackstrap vehicle stopped and shots This news comes amid reports Transport and Highways, Nitin molasses into ethanol instead of hemp (what we Sefricans call were fired. The victim was majat) as biomass. that Saudi Arabia wants to keep Gadkari, last week repeated his refining it into sugar for food part of the group,” he said. department’s goal to promote Hemp offers two harvests a oil prices as high as possible in use.Gadkari said the petroleum The arrested suspects ethanol and other alternative year even in arid climes, and to finance a series of ministry will have a separate and were charged in the Bishop order fuels to lessen India’s South Africa now have a biofuel economic development projects attractive pricing pattern for the Lavis Magistrate’s Court. dependency on imported fuel. in the kingdom. ethanol produced in this manner. refinery that is lookingg at An initial charge of Speaking at the 58th annual turning wood chips and even “The Saudis need oil at about Gadkari also mentioned the convention of the Automotive chicken feathers into useful attempted murder was $80 and they don’t want prices government plans to produce Component Manufacturers amended to murder after to go below $70. They want to ethanol directly from sugarcane material, as well as a case study in the Ethala Group, which is the victim died as a result of manage the market like this,” a Association of India (Acma), juice, which will also be priced said “ethanol is the attractively and will further aid in growing fuel in the Eastern his injuries while in hospital. source at OPEC told Reuters on Gadkari solution for our fuel problems.” increasing the production of this Cape. -- DR. -- DR. September 5.

August 2018 Contact The Driver News by SMS or Whatsapp on 082 4589 332, e-mail the editor@thedriver.co.za. see more on www.drivernews.co.za

India plans to grow its own bio-fuels