The Nation Newspaper

Category: Motoring

  • Electric, driverless cars: Which way Nigeria?

    I decided to write on this topic after the series of questions from drivers during my training programmes. The drivers are in panic. They wanted to know what would become of their jobs when their companies opt for self-drive or driverless cars?

    As the National President of the Driving School Associations of Nigeria, several proprietors of driving schools have approached me to know what will happen to their business if people begin to go for driverless cars with nobody caring to learn how to drive again?

    Before answering the two questions, I think the set of professionals that should panic more now are the automobile technicians popularly called motor mechanics. The high rate at which automobile companies are chunking out electric cars and the encouraging reports from users, show that more people will be dumping the engine vehicles for the electric ones. The solar option in electric cars will also make the acceptance high in Nigeria sooner than imagined.

    My response to the drivers’ questions is that there is no course for alarm in Nigeria for now. As at today, the rating of road infrastructure, road network, road transportation system, intermodal transportation system, traffic signs, functional traffic lights, road markings, road kerbs, pedestrian crossings, pedestrian walkways, and other supporting road furniture is still very far from global standards. For the driverless cars to function effectively in Nigeria, all the above must be put in place.

    Few people have already imported driverless cars into Nigeria, but on which road will they operate them safely? Will the cars share the road safely with the danfo drivers, trailers, Okada riders in Nigeria? Nigerian drivers, fear not, your jobs are still secured for some years to come but regularly upgrade yourselves to survive the coming competition in the profession.

    Irrespective of whether driverless cars  will lead to job loss for drivers or not, this is a challenge to the federal, state and local governments who are not yet paying enough attention to the provision of good roads and road furniture. It is not compulsory for governments to be looking for budget money to construct roads.

    Through Public and Private Partnership(PPP) arrangements, quality and lasting roads and state-of-the-art road furniture will be provided strategically nationwide with toll gates at no cost to the government.

    My answer to the panicking driving school operators is that there is no cause for alarm. Even the owners of driverless cars still need to undergo driving and safety training to evaluate the functionality of the driverless cars as well as assist to drive the car when it is entangled and cannot help itself out of some critical situations.

    However, the developments in the auto industries globally are pointers to the fact that professionals in all vocations must regularly upgrade their knowledge and skills to remain and thrive in business. Always think ahead to remain ahead.

  • Traffic Radio starts flights, train reports

    To cover all modes of transportation, Lagos Traffic Radio 96.1 FM has kicked off the reeling out of information on flight and train schedules as well as maritime shipping positions.

    This is in line with the station’s commitment to report and adequately inform the public on other means of transportation in the state beyond road and to further reduce the pressure on road traffic.

    Its Acting General Manager, Tayo Akanle said the station is determined to broaden its reach and attract more listeners by giving timely and adequate traffic updates on a daily basis in all sectors of transportation.

    According to him, up to date maritime shipping information and port schedules as it concerns the shipping industry would be broadcast on Mondays to Fridays at 7am, 7:30am and 5pm; 6am, 10:15am, 1:15am and 7:05pm are for flight schedules.

    Akanle noted that Lagos Traffic Radio was established to provide first-hand information on all modes of transportation, traffic news, alerts and diversions and update to help commuters and motorists plan their journey across all axis of the state.

  • Police warn vehicle owners

    The Ogun State Police Command has warned owners of abandoned vehicles parked at Ibafo and Mowe divisions, to come with their original document or loss them after 14 days. The vehicles are: Volkswagen bus marked- JJJ 312 XN, Scoda car FKJ 533 AZ, Volkswagen bus YA 788 FST.

  • Cars45, Kia trade over 300 vehicles

    KIA Motors and Cars45, an online motor firm, have carried out over 300 transactions on KIA vehicles since the partnership was announced in January, last year.

    This was made in Lagos where both firms announced that they were expanding the partnership to accommodate more car brands which enables consumers to have more choices when they want to buy, sell or swap their cars through Cars45 at any KIA location across the country.

    Cars45Chief Financial Officer Jide Adamolekun said the deal has improved car ownership in the country.

    “We launched this partnership January last year and at the end of the year, we reassessed how far we have gone and examined the opportunities that we have created in the Nigerian market. Cars 45 carried out over 300 transactions via this relationship last year and we have seen the future where by making more brands available to consumers we will help unlock more value in the nation’s automotive space,” Adamolekun said.

    He said plans are on to move the current operations in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja to new cities and territories across the country.

    KIA Marketing Manager Olawale Jimoh described the partnership as wonderful and rewarding experience which has seen both parties record so many gains.

    He said: “We have seen the sale of used KIA cars rise as Cars45’s structured arrangement of buying and selling used cars has brought transparency and credibility, taking away the associated stress with selling locally used vehicles.

    ”It is against the backdrop of the successes recorded that we are now expanding this relationship to a more robust arrangement such that regardless of the car brand that you are driving, you can experience the rich range of value offerings provided by Cars45.”

    Cars45 Vice President (Trading) Mohammed Iyamu said the firm is looking to triple last year’s transactions.

    According to him, a missing link in Nigeria’s automotive industry is financing.

    “If you look at a market like say South Africa, 70 per cent of the cars on the road are financed one way or another. Cars45’s trade-in/swap scheme has served as a means of financing for many and so we would be looking at adding more value to this partnership end to end.

    “We are looking to provide new services to our customers that include repairs and workshop services, we are also looking to partner with other service providers in the automobile industry especially those who deal in accessories and also partner with financial institutions to provide financing for certified Cars45 car purchases,” he said.

    The event also provided an opportunity for Cars45 to showcase the achievements of its sister brand, Carsbazr, which provides a stress-free experience for Nigerians to buy verified locally used cars that they can trust at the best prices.

    Carsbazr Head of Operations John Egwu said affordability was at the heart of what the firm does. “Whatever car you are looking to buy at your individual price point, we’ve got you covered. All our cars have a standard report and there are no hidden details about any cars. Our weekly live auctions, which have become a game changer within the automobile community in Nigeria, also provide a great opportunity where people are able to go home with vehicles that they can afford in a convivial and fun environment,” he said.

  • Toyota introduces Rush into market

    •New SUV targets Sportage, Tucson, Escape market

    Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Escape and others  are in for a serious challenge as Toyota Nigeria Limited (TNL) introduces the new generation Rush into the auto market.

    The Rush is being brought into the market to fulfil customer yearnings for a Toyota Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) that will compete with the aforementioned SUVs.

    The Rush was first introduced in 1997 in 5-door estate form and was called Terios Kid or Toyota Cami.

    Its supply was restricted to the Japanese market initially until after a few years.

    Toyota Rush is manufactured in Indonesia from where it is supplied to most of Asia and the African continent.

    The Rush’s first generation was between 1997 and 2006; second generation – 2006 and 2017.

    The third generation, which started from 2018, is known for its bold yet fresh design language that never fails to make an impression.

    Impressive features like projector headlamps, dual-tone grille, LED taillights and more that makes the Rush a head turner.

    With Rush, spacing is never an issue. It does not only offer great boot space but also grants impressive headroom and legroom, allowing occupants to take long journeys at ease.

    The Rush is designed in such a way that it gives the driver a great view of the road ahead

    Speaking at the launch in Lagos last Tuesday, TNL Managing Director, Kunle Ade-Ojo, described the Toyota Rush as a befitting vehicle imbued with the trappings of the Toyota superior quality.

    Ade-Ojo said the vehicle is a beauty to behold, stating that the Rush favourably competes within its segment on the platform of elegance, price and the enviable Toyota family heritage.

    “A heritage built on trust, the will to continually satisfy customers and customer safety which is paramount. As a corporate and responsive organisation, Toyota (Nigeria) Limited will continually strive to yield to the aspirations of our dear customers by enriching our stables with magnificent vehicles, offering attractive variants and surpassing customer expectations,” he said.

    According to him, inclement economic landscape of Nigeria has not deterred the company, adding that it has positively impacted on the company’s creativity in responding to the demands of its customers all over Nigeria.

    He said TNL will continue to push the frontiers of technology to keep its customers satisfied and also uphold its culture of excellence.

    “I am very pleased and thrilled by this model that “fuses dynamic energy with sharp elegant styling”. Available in three variants, the Rush is equally imbued with magnificent interior beauty and comfort. It is targeted at aspirational individuals that love the comfort and status of an SUV with excellent drive and affordable price.

    “It is no exaggeration that the rich pedigree of this model already imbues it with outstanding attributes peculiar only to all its siblings in our model line-up,” he added.

    While presenting the features of the vehicle to its dealers and the public, Marketing Manager, TNL, Bayo Olawoyin, said the automatic transmission developed for the 2NR-VE engine has realised excellent power performance and fuel efficiency.

    The 1.5Litre engine ensures excellent fuel economy and efficiency in the vehicle.

    The 3rd and 4th lock-up ranges have been expanded to achieve further reduction in fuel consumption.

    LTD (Long Travel Damper) adopted for the torque converter restrains the vibration of drive line, and expanded 3rd and 4th lock-up ranges help contribute to good fuel efficiency.The brake is equipped with the ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) and VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) functions.

    ABS

    In sudden braking, the maximum braking power is produced without locking tyres. This system helps prevent a lateral slip of the vehicle, secure steerability, and maintain tyre grip.

  • CFAO Motors unveils King Long buses

    Frontline auto distributing company CFAO Motors has once more displayed its strength with the re-introduction of King Long passenger bus and cargo bus into the market.

    King Long is a leading Chinese bus manufacturer with strong ties to international auto parts suppliers.

    Founded in 1887, and present in Nigeria since 1920, CFAO has been known for its commitment to customer service, dynamism, efficiency boosted by strong local presence as well as a trusted network,

    At a commercial re-introduction event held in Lagos last Thursday, CFAO Motors delighted customers, potential customers, industry stakeholders and auto journalists with the charming features of the brand which has already been used and tested in the local market.

    The General Manager of CFAO Equipment, a division of the multinational company saddled with the responsibility of distributing the King Long brand in Nigeria, Mr. Laurent Friederich, said his company known for distributing only quality products, settled for King Long because of its salient features.

    “CFAO has a solid reputation in Nigeria, and we are distributing the King Long brand because it is a leading Chinese brand in the bus segment,” Friederich, said.

    He added that the company’s strategy is to ensure nationwide distribution of the bus through “our network because we have a solid sales and aftersales network across the country”.

    On the outstanding features of the brand, the General Manager explained that aside the pocket friendly price, the bus is durable and fuel-efficient, coming with a low maintenance cost, just as it uses the simple technology.

    Friederich said the bus can be used for a wide variety of purposes such as city and inter-city transportation, school bus, Church/Mosque bus, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and cargo distribution bus, ambulance etc. He added that there are plans to study local assembly of the buses in the nearest future.

    The Kingwin-15 Seater bus which is ideal for modern day passenger transportation comes with a 2.237 litre engine on a long wheel base, 5-speed transmission and safety features such as Anti-Locking Braking System, stop lamp, seat belts on all seats, and appropriate braking system.

    The functional equipment of the bus include front fog lamp, rear view mirror, rear stepped bumper, speed limit device, among others. It also comes with a petrol engine, CD+MP3 player, front and rear air conditioning system among others.

    The Kingwin Cargovan also comes on a long wheel base with a high mount stop lamp, tyre size of 195/70/R15, 2.237 litre engine, and other standard features applicable to the 15 seater bus. It also comes with a generous 7.6 cubic meter space. With the relaunch, the King Long buses are now available for purchase in all CFAO Motors outlets nationwide. Warranty is two years or 60,000 kilometers.

    A satisfied customer, the proprietor of Troika schools, Lekki, Lagos, Mrs. Erinma Kanno, as well as a King Long dealer, Mr. Adeleke Samuel affirmed the outstanding features of the King Long buses during the event.

  • Hyundai recalls Sonatas and Santa Fe SUVs

    Hyundai is recalling approximately 100,000 model year 2011-2014 Sonatas and model year 2013-2014 Santa Fe Sport vehicles.

    The company will inspect and confirm proper reinstallation of the fuel tube to the high-pressure fuel pump of vehicles whose engines were replaced under two previous recalls.

    In addition, Hyundai has developed a new engine monitoring technology called a knock sensor detection system that uses software innovations to continuously monitor for symptoms that may precede an engine failure

    This technology will be installed through a free software update performed by Hyundai dealers to approximately 2 million Hyundai vehicles, including all model year 2011-2018 Sonatas and 2013-2018 Santa Fe Sport vehicles with engines produced in the U.S.

  • Auto Trader reveals UK’s fastest selling used cars

    The Vauxhall Mokka was the fastest selling used car of 2018, the SUV taking an average of just 26 days to leave UK forecourts.

    The Mokka knocked the Kia Sportage off the number one spot, a title it has held for the past two years.

    SUVs dominated the fastest selling listings with the Renault Captur, Renault Kadjar, Mazda CX-5, Skoda Yeti and the Audi Q5 all with top 10 placings.

    It was a similar picture across the regions, with SUVs making up 77 per cent of the fastest selling used cars in 2018.

    They topped the list the lists in East England where the Ford Kuga took 30 days to sell. In the East Midlands the Nissan Qashqai sold in 31 days.

    London saw the Mitsubishi Outlander sell in just 14 days while in the north east the Nissan Juke sold in 29 days.

    Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader director of commercial products, said: “SUVs have unquestionably played a huge role in maximising profitability in 2018 and there’s little doubt this will continue to be the case during the year ahead.

    “However, with SUVs taking the crown for three consecutive years, it’ll be exciting to see whether they’ll be able to make it a fourth, or if the nippy hatchback will be able to recapture the second-hand market in 2019.”

  • Challenges of driver education

    It is disheartening that over 80 per cent of the drivers and riders operating on Nigerian roads  lack the knowledge and skills required for safe driving. The possession of the driver licence is no more an assurance that the holder is properly trained to drive. Hence the high rate of road traffic crashes with the attendant consequences in Nigeria.

    Driving is the most complex vocation among all the professions in the world because it is the job that requires the simultaneous use of the highest number of organs of body in a continuously changing environment in a bid to ensure effective and safe vehicle control. It is therefore very expedient that every category of drivers must deeply understand all the traffic regulations, traffic signs and road markings, vehicle dynamics, vehicle technology, defensive and super – defensive driving techniques among other essential topics.

    With the high rate of compromise and corruption which has pervaded the driver licence centres nationwide, thousands of people did not go through driving school or other forms of theory and practical training. There are so many hired killers on the road today holding Nigeria driver licence dangerously practising trial and error driving on the road.

    The lack of structured pre- licence Theory and Practical Tests by the Directorate of Road Traffic Services ( VIOs) before recommending such Candidate for FRSC capturing for driver licence is further fuelling the high rate of road accidents in Nigeria.

    The absence of Driver Licence pre – Renewal Theory Test and physical assessment has been shielding the drivers that obtained their licence in the past from proving their knowledge and skills.

    The absence of Referral or Correctional training for apprehended traffic law offenders in accredited driving schools is also another compromise by the regulatory authorities is another factor hindering driver education in Nigeria.

    The low interest on the part of the employers of drivers to train their drivers has greatly hindered driver education in Nigeria. Some employers are of the opinion that their drivers can go for employment in other companies. Why are they not thinking this way concerning the training of other officers in the organisation? It is simply because they have not yet come to terms with the fact that drivers who move the lives of the high and low in the organisation are very important. There is a need for all employers of drivers to set aside a budget every year for the training of their drivers to keep them current or up to date with the developments in vehicle technology, traffic regulations and vehicle dynamics.

    Another disgusting fact is that some drivers even when sponsored  for training by their employers do not always show interest in the training. This is because they erroneously believe that since they already know how to move vehicle even for long distance journeys, they do not need any training again. This is a dangerous misconception which has also been contributing to the high rate of accidents in Nigeria.

    Lastly, some driving schools also compromise by churning out certificates to learner drivers without offering them the required theory and practical training before being pushed to the Driver Licence Centre for licence processing. This wave of racketeering in the driving schools and driver licence centres is detrimental to quality driver education and by extension, road safety in Nigeria calling for urgent attention and action by all concerned to enhance safety on Nigerian roads.

  • Ford sued for sexual, racial harassment at Truck Plant

    An employee at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant in United States (US) is suing the company on claims her male supervisor groped her, sexually harassed her and showed her photos of himself having sex with other women who work at the plant.

    DeAnna Johnson, 54, alleges the Dearborn Truck Plant supervisor on a daily basis would ask her to show him her breasts while he was teaching Johnson her job as production supervisor and assessing her performance.

    A Ford Motor Co. spokeswoman last Thursday said the supervisor accused of harassment was fired in December after an internal review.

    The supervisor also called Johnson, who is African-American, “‘chocolate jolly rancher,’” according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Detroit. “When she asked him what that meant, he responded that she was a chocolate treat” that he wanted to have sex with.

    “Ford does not tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination,” Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said in a statement.

    “We take those claims very seriously and investigate them thoroughly. While we have not received this lawsuit, we are aware of the allegations. The plaintiff filed a Human Resources complaint in November 2018. We launched an investigation, immediately suspended the employee that was the subject of the complaint, then fired him in December. Ford also interviewed every supervisor who the plaintiff claims had knowledge of her allegations prior to her Human Resources complaint and found that the only supervisor to whom she complained immediately referred her complaint to Human Resources,” Felker said.

    The lawsuit was filed just more than a year after Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett travelled to the automaker’s plants in Chicago to address allegations of sexual harassment made there. The New York Times reported in late 2017 that women at the Chicago plants said their complaints about sexual harassment were met with hostility, and that management’s efforts to correct the problem proved ineffective.

    Following that report, Hackett wrote an open letter to Ford employees, and the automaker played a three-minute video on a loop in U.S. plants denouncing sexual harassment.

    Hackett and Ford publicly and repeatedly denounced the actions at the Chicago plants. The automaker said a year ago it would pay $10 million to settle the charges there.

    Johnson’s claims about her experience at the Dearborn Truck Plant are similar in nature to those reported at the Chicago facilities.

    The supervisor, according to the lawsuit, often stuck his cellphone in Johnson’s face, to show her a picture of him having sex. Johnson “recognized some of the women in the pictures as (his) subordinates — women who worked the line and reported to him. Each time, (the supervisor) would comment ‘oops, wrong picture’ or something similar,” the lawsuit alleges.

    The supervisor allegedly told Johnson he wanted to have sex with her because he did not yet have a black woman in his “collection,” according to the lawsuit. Johnson’s attorney, Carol Laughbaum, told The Detroit News the supervisor is white.

    The suit also says the supervisor sent Johnson “numerous sexually suggestive inappropriate texts,” and sent her a photo of “himself in his underwear, and pictures of his genitals.”

    Johnson in October reported the supervisor’s actions to managers. The suit alleges that the manager she first reported the incidents to told Johnson that she should “just” have sex with the supervisor “and get it over with.”

    When higher-level managers did report the incidents, the lawsuit says Johnson was told by Ford human resources department to turn over her cellphone so the company could collect data from it.

    When Johnson asked why Ford was not going through the supervisor’s phone, the suit alleges the company said he refused to give it up. Johnson has since been on medical leave, according to the lawsuit. It says she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

    Johnson is suing Ford for one count of allowing a sexually hostile work environment in violation of Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act; one count of racial harassment; and one count of sexual assault and battery. Johnson is demanding she be compensated for lost wages while on leave in addition to other damages.