Big win for petrol prices this November, a new Chinese car brand, and a congestion charge for one of South Africa’s biggest cities

These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.

Big win for petrol prices in South Africa next month

The latest data from the Central Energy Fund indicates that motorists can expect a cut in the price of both petrol and diesel this October.

Petrol is set to come down by 62c per litre, while diesel will see a smaller reduction of 34c per litre.

The main reason for the drop is a decline in global oil prices thanks to an increase in supply.

Congestion charge on the cards for one of South Africa’s biggest cities

The City of Cape Town is thinking of introducing a congestion charge in an attempt to combat the metro’s notorious traffic issues.

“The City is focused on tackling car dependency and mobility habits to enable more sustainable commuting that improves people’s travel time, health, and the climate,” it said in an official statement.

Its draft Travel Demand Management Strategy outlines several methods to achieve this goal, including a congestion charge and car-free roads in the CBD.

New Chinese car brand goes on sale in South Africa

Leapmotor has officially gone on sale in South Africa.

The Chinese car brand is affiliated with Stellantis, the parent company behind other makes like Opel, Peugeot, and Citroen, and will make use of its existing dealership network.

Its first product, the C10, is a large SUV with a range-extender electric vehicle (REEV) powertrain, which starts at R759,900.

South African petrol tax money spent on a R48,000 hat

Two Road Accident Fund officials defended two media contracts, each worth an estimated half a million rand, before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts this month.

The contracts were provided to Media Mix 360 in 2022, with an expiration date in 2027, and to Dzinge Productions in 2024, with an expiration date in 2028.

MPs discussed various issues surrounding the contracts, flagging dodgy invoices. Among the invoices was one amounting to R48,300 for a single bucket hat from Dzinge Productions.

Warning for Toyota and Lexus owners in South Africa

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has put out a renewed call for motorists to check if their cars are affected by the Takata Airbag Recall campaign.

This is not a new recall, as the Takata airbag scandal broke all the way back in 2015, affecting multiple automakers and an estimated 100 million vehicles worldwide, making it the single largest vehicle-related product recall in history.

However, TSAM noted that roughly 40% of Toyota and Lexus owners affected by the recalls have yet to take their cars in to fix the issue, prompting the company to launch a new awareness campaign called Don’t Risk It, Fix it.