Author:focus-on-transport
In South Africa, 2009 was undoubtedly the year of the bus. Nevertheless, although the devastating sales figures experienced by the rest of the commercial transport industry hardly touched the bus and coach sector, there are still a number of road blocks that could impact negatively on future sales. NADINE VON MOLTKE examines the state of local public transport.
The MAN lion is a familiar public transport badge in cities around the world, attesting to the solid reputation MAN has built as a leading commuter-bus manufacturer. A recent landmark deal with Metro Groupโs KZT Bus Services confirms MANโs ongoing dominance of the local market.
Scania has won a prominent position in select bus and coach markets across the globe, including South America, Europe and the Far East. The manufacturerโs phenomenal local successes are largely responsible for Southern Africa rapidly becoming another of Scaniaโs key markets.
I recently experienced a close encounter with a Metrobus โ so close, in fact, that the rear panels of my trusty Suzuki Swift were almost completely demolished. Personal transport woes aside, however, as we gear up for the 2010 FIFA World Cup the spotlight continues to fall on public transport. While improvements to the network are to be applauded, can we afford to pay the price of fleets of buses and coaches manned largely by undisciplined drivers, asks NADINE VON […]
In our December review of prospects for the worldโs major truck manufacturers, Global Focus commented on the developing joint venture between Navistar International Corporation and Caterpillar, now operational under the imaginative name of NC2 Global LLC, and the rolling out of Navistarโs own joint ventures in India and China.
โWeโve all been there. Your vehicle wonโt start, so you call passers-by to apply a combined force to give you a push-start. Two people turn up, and within a brief amount of time their combined energy has worked. The car starts and the engineโs torque provides a powerful getaway,โ writes JAKE VENTER.
The issue of safety will always be of vital concern to transport operators. Truck accidents can be expensive, both in terms of lives and loads lost. NADINE VON MOLTKE examines how safety-critical components can help safeguard against the unexpected.
Confident that its new Xenon 2.2L DLE is capable of handling any dirtย road, Tata recently gave members of the press an opportunity to test the vehicle on the demanding Bass Lake 4×4 trail just outside Johannesburg. GG VAN ROOYEN put it through its paces.
Many captains of industry share the environmentalistโs vision of a greener future. STUART MOIR looks at the relationship recently forged between Mercedes Benz Commercial Vehicles and Fast โn Fresh, a champion of environmental sustainability in the retail sector.
Thanks to the key role it has played in preparations for the World Cup, South Africaโs construction industry has enjoyed several years of exceptional activity. But what will happen now that most of the construction work is complete? Is the industry in for a slump? GG VAN ROOYEN finds out.
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