These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.
Official petrol price reductions for July announced
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has announced the official fuel price adjustments for July.
Both petrol and diesel saw an appreciable drop in cost, though the latter fell less than the former.
The improved price tag is attributed to improvements in the international petroleum price and a reduction in the Slate Levy.
Notably, for the first time in decades, fuel prices were adjusted on a Thursday this July rather than a Wednesday as a result of delays in establishing the new Government of National Unity (GNU).
Criminal syndicates stripping cars in 10 minutes – Where they operate
Car thieves are becoming more efficient in South Africa, as they are able to strip a car in less than 10 minutes.
The syndicates behind these acts are primarily based in KwaZulu-Natal and target vehicles in large metros such as Durban or Pietermaritzburg.
There are also sizeable operations to smuggle stolen cars across the border into Mozambique.
New Chinese bakkies coming to South Africa
Foton has big plans for South Africa, as it plans to launch at least two more bakkies in the near future.
One of these is the Tunland G9 – the higher-spec sibling to the recently introduced G7 – while the other is the luxurious Tunland V9.
The Chinese carmaker also has plans to expand its domestic factory here to produce the G7 on local soil.
The amazing recovery of South Africa’s passenger trains
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has seen a 167% improvement in passenger numbers over a 1-year period.
It has also revived 31 of its 40 passenger rail corridors and refurbished as many as 263 stations.
This reflects an amazing recovery following the 2020 pandemic when widespread theft and vandalism left the nation’s train services in a dilapidated state.
One of South Africa’s cheapest car licence disc renewal services shuts down
PayCity has officially shut down its car licence disc renewal as of the end of June 2024.
The service was one of the more affordable options in South Africa, charging a rate of R166.75 for both its admin and delivery fees.
Existing customers can still use their accounts for other services on the platform, or request a refund for any remaining credits.
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