The Nation Newspaper

Category: Motoring

  • Coscharis motors partners Jumia for discounts

    Coscharis Motors PLC, a foremost automobile dealer in Nigeria and sole representative of auto brands like Ford, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover and Morris Garages (MG), in Nigeria, has partnered with Jumia, an online shop to market some of her vehicle brands at heavily discounted rates. Shoppers on Jumia will also stand a chance to win a brand new Ford Figo during the Black Friday event.

    Coscharis Group General Manager Marketing and Corporate Communications, Mr. Abiona Babarinde, said it is another way Coscharis Motors Plc is giving back to her customers as they warm up for the Yuletide season.

    He said: “We will always seek new ways to delight our customers and give them value for their money, no matter the platform on which they wish to patronise us, online or offline. During the Jumia Black Friday Promo period, we will offer a number of our vehicle brands at heavily discounted rates for willing customers to take advantage of. Also the entry level Ford Figo will be on offer to be won via a raffle draw on the Jumia platform, for those who will patronise the platform during the Black Friday Promo period.”

    Some of the variants which Coscharis Motors is expected to offer at heavily discounted rates are: Morris Garages – MG 5 COMFORT, MG 6 COMFORT, MG 750 EXECUTIVE, Ford – Ford Expedition King Ranch, BMW – BMW 640, BMW 218i Active Tourer, BMW X-6, MINI – Mini Cooper Countryman, Jaguar – Jaguar XE, Jaguar XJ, Land Rover – Range Rover Evoque Coupe and Range Rover Sport HSE.

     

  • Driving, corruption and safety

    Driving is a complex task and its mastery develops overtime with the right quantity and quality of training (theory and practical). To ensure safety on Nigeria road, it is expedient that every driver and vehicle owner, particularly, holders of driver licence must be exposed to quality training on driving and safety. This is because it is a universal truth that over 80 per cent of road accidents are attributable to the human factor (Drivers).

    It is, therefore, an act of corruption and a safety risk for a man or woman, young or old, literate or illiterate to put a vehicle on the road without having the right level of training in an accredited driving school as legally required in Nigeria.

    The procedure stipulated by the Federal Government through its agencies for the processing of driver licence is to go through the accredited driving schools where the E-Certificate for the Licence processing will be generated.

    It is, therefore, another act of corruption for any citizen of Nigeria to bypass the accredited driving schools and go through the backdoor of FRSC, VIO, MVAA/SBIR to obtain driver licence.

    Hundreds of thousands of people who don’t even know how to drive  vehicles are currently holding the Nigeria Driver Licence which they obtained through the backdoor of corruption. That is, many licensed killers are currently holding the steering on Nigerian roads. So, innocent road users must be vigilant.

    The driver licence and DSSP Portal handshake introduced by the FRSC in February 2017 will however curb these corrupt backdoor practices on the condition that the process is not corrupted again by the corrupt cabals in the system.

    It is an act of corruption to obtain or aid anyone to obtain a driver licence in Nigeria without going through accredited driving schools and without being given an uncompromised Theory and Practical Tests by the VIOs.

    While driving on the road, every violation of the traffic rules and regulations is an act of corruption.

    Every compromise in the enforcement of traffic rules and regulations is an act of corruption.

    Taking a cue from the word of President Muhamadu Buhari, if we don’t kill the corruption in the driver licence system, road safety administration, driving school operation and the driving habits of drivers in Nigeria, corruption will continue to kill irreparable lives and valuable properties on Nigerian roads. The Federal Road Safety Commission has taken the bull by the horn through the DSSP and DL portals with other control mechanisms. While encouraging the FRSC not to relent, all other stakeholders should get more committed and join hands with the FRSC to achieve the common goal of quality driver education through the accredited driving schools, issuance of licence to only qualified drivers and ultimately, safety on Nigerian roads.

    It is therefore time for the Governments,  Regulatory Agencies, Driving Schools and all other Nigerians to get more committed to establishing a very transparent and corrupt-free process of licensing Drivers or obtaining Driver licence for the safety of all and to the glory of God. Your compromise or corrupt acts of today can endanger your career, life or family in the future. What you are doing today is a seed which will yield fruits for you tomorrow (positive or negative).

    Individual Drivers and Vehicle Owners should voluntarily go to Standard accredited Driving schools for refresher training programmes to further boost their capacity for safer road use. In the same vein, Employers of Drivers must regularly train their Drivers through standard accredited Driving Schools as specified in the enabling Acts of the Federal Road Safety Commission(1988 and 2012 as ammended).

     

    Prospective fresh Driver licence Applicants  should first go Driving Schools for their E-Certificates before going to the Driver licence centres for processing. The practice of going to Driver licence centres to give driver licence money to FRSC, VIO/VIS, SBIR/MVAA is illegal and could cause problems for the Applicants. Many that did that in the past are currently regretting it.  It is an act of corruption to the break the due process.

    AS WE ALL SAY “CORRUPTION, NOT IN MY COUNTRY”, let us walk our talk for the safety of us all.

     

     

  • Auto technicians account for 80% of new jobs, says NATA

    About 80 per cent of new jobs in the country are workers, artisans and other employees drawn from auto technicians across the country, Chairman of Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA) Lagos State Chapter, Comrade Asiwaju Jacob Omonide-Fayeun has said.

    Omonide-Fayeun said this at the 14th Year edition of Auto Technicians Workshop and Exhibition in Lagos.

    The workshop and exhibition, he said, was conceived as a training programme for auto industry and auto technicians.

    He urged government to give NATA more recognition, saying “we account for over 80 per cent of new jobs in Nigeria according to recent statistics from the Federal Ministry of Labour.”

    According to him, it is also a forum where manufacturers, dealers and distributors of all brands of automobile spare parts and accessories and oil companies impact knowledge to auto technicians on the latest trends in the industry.

    The NATA chairman hailed Mobil Nigeria Plc for its support.

    “Mobil Oil has helped in training over 100,000 NATA members nationwide and they are the sponsor of our annual workshop/exhibition; they deserve our 100 per cent patronage,” he said.

    Omonide-Fayeun appealed Lagos State Governor to allocate land to the group to build modern villages in the state for NATA members, saying “we are tired of incessant demolition of our mechanic villages and at the same time driving us away from streets, roadside and under the bridges without providing alternatives for us. We also find it shocking that the Ministry of Transport has increased our ground rent from an average of N20, 000 to N140, 000 per annum. This is very outrageous and we appeal to Lagos State Government to stay action on this matter while we urgently request for a meeting to resolve pressing issues”.

    NATA National General Secretary Comrade Musa Yahaya said the group is interested in partnering with the Global Sights Services Limited (GSSL) to produce NATA ID Card that would be recognised by Law enforcement agencies, banks amongst others.

    GSSL Managing Director Mr. Dayo Bello assured NATA of their readiness to work with them on the project and ensure that it will promote the image of NATA as an association.

  • Auto technicians account for 80% of new jobs, says NATA

    About 80 per cent of new jobs in the country are workers, artisans and other employees drawn from auto technicians across the country, Chairman of Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA) Lagos State Chapter, Comrade Asiwaju Jacob Omonide-Fayeun has said.

    Omonide-Fayeun said this at the 14th Year edition of Auto Technicians Workshop and Exhibition in Lagos.

    The workshop and exhibition, he said, was conceived as a training programme for auto industry and auto technicians.

    He urged government to give NATA more recognition, saying “we account for over 80 per cent of new jobs in Nigeria according to recent statistics from the Federal Ministry of Labour.”

    According to him, it is also a forum where manufacturers, dealers and distributors of all brands of automobile spare parts and accessories and oil companies impact knowledge to auto technicians on the latest trends in the industry.

    The NATA chairman hailed Mobil Nigeria Plc for its support.

    “Mobil Oil has helped in training over 100,000 NATA members nationwide and they are the sponsor of our annual workshop/exhibition; they deserve our 100 per cent patronage,” he said.

    Omonide-Fayeun appealed Lagos State Governor to allocate land to the group to build modern villages in the state for NATA members, saying “we are tired of incessant demolition of our mechanic villages and at the same time driving us away from streets, roadside and under the bridges without providing alternatives for us. We also find it shocking that the Ministry of Transport has increased our ground rent from an average of N20, 000 to N140, 000 per annum. This is very outrageous and we appeal to Lagos State Government to stay action on this matter while we urgently request for a meeting to resolve pressing issues”.

    NATA National General Secretary Comrade Musa Yahaya said the group is interested in partnering with the Global Sights Services Limited (GSSL) to produce NATA ID Card that would be recognised by Law enforcement agencies, banks amongst others.

    GSSL Managing Director Mr. Dayo Bello assured NATA of their readiness to work with them on the project and ensure that it will promote the image of NATA as an association.

  • ‘Why we introduced Ace110 motorbike’

    ‘Why we introduced Ace110 motorbike’

    Ace110 motorbike was developed with the sole aim of getting back Honda’s competitiveness in the domestic market space, Honda Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, has said.

    The motorbike was unveiled  at the company’s factory on Ota-Idiroko Road in Ogun State.

    Honda Manufacturing Nigeria Managing Director Katsuhiro Murooka, said with the introduction of Ace 110, many commercial motorcycle operators could afford to replace their old ‘worn-out’ Okada.

    Murooka said the new product was meant to support their business.

    The Chief Operating Officer, Global Motorcycle Operations at Honda, Noriaki Abe, said the company was expecting to sell 19 million motorcycles across the world in 2017.

    “We have the leading share of the global motorcycle market by an overwhelming margin; accounting for 35 per cent of all sales worldwide, in Africa, the story is different. We were late in entering the African market, and our products are felt by customers here to be comparatively expensive. Of a total 3.4 million motorcycles sold in Africa, sales of Honda stand at just 55,000. There is clearly substantial room for improvement,” he said.

    He added that the plan to substantially increase the share of Honda motorcycles in Nigeria and Africa informed the decision to introduce the ACE 110, which he noted as being affordable, high in quality, fuel efficient and low maintenance.

    Abe said: “Consequently, Honda very much regards Africa as a fast growing market, and understands it to be a vital market. And, from the perspective of population and the GDP, we see Nigeria as a key country.

    “We developed Ace110 (one-ten), as a strategic model targeted at the African market. It sells at a similar price to rival vehicles but, at the same time, it offers the enduring quality, class-leading fuel efficiency, and comfort that have become synonymous with Honda.

    “We believe it is the motorcycle that Nigerian customers have long been waiting for. Having completed the development of Ace110 (one-ten), Honda is currently in the process of developing a second and a third strategic motorcycle for Africa. It goes without saying that we are confident they will meet the expectations of our African customers.”

    The Director-General, National Automotive Design and Development Council, Mr. Jelani Aliyu, who was part of the ceremony, said Nigeria was fascinated by the progress of the Honda brand globally and expressed the country’s intention to work with the automaker to speed up the development of the automotive industry.

    The Sales Manager, Olawale Badejo, said the Ace110 motorcycle was a product of a three-year research development, adding, “It is a concept made in Nigeria coming after several years of painstaking research into what the Nigerian customer wants in a motorcycle.

    Apart from test drive of the new product, Badejo said adequate training had also been held for major motorcycle riders and mechanics for easy handling and maximum safety.

    He also gave the features of the motorbike such as the engine, seat, double spring rear suspension, passenger footstep, all front gear shift and its red & blue colour options.

  • CFAO inaugurates assembly plant

    CFAO inaugurates assembly plant

    The CFAO group has opened an assembly plant for Fuso its Amuwo-Odofin, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos, facility.

    The plant is expected to produce 500 units of Canter truck yearly.

    According to CFAO, the Canter truck has segment advantage in the areas of reliability, ruggedness; low maintenance cost and particularly meets the economic needs and requirements of the Nigerian end users.

    Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okey Enelamah was represented by the Director- General of the Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr Jelani Aliyu in attendance at the event.

    The foreign dignitaries were led by Director International Sales Operations, Daimler Trucks Asia Mr. Ilan Elad and CFAO Group Chairman Mr Richard Bielle.

    Others in attendance were Chairman of CFAO Nigeria Plc Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, and CFAO Country delegates in Nigeria Mr. Thomas Pelletier.

    The Nigerian FUSO plant is the second FUSO truck plant in Africa.

    With the inauguration of the plant, CFAO said it is targeting additional growth in the emerging Nigerian market by leveraging on their strengths, expertise, and efficient network.

    “This local assembly plant will greatly boosts job creation and local content development as indigenous contractors were extensively engaged from the design to the construction stages of the plant in addition to employment of Nigerian engineers, technicians and interns in acquiring qualitative competency,” the company said..

    Bielle said: “The inauguration of this new FUSO plant coincides with the celebration of CFAO’s 115th year in Nigeria. CFAO Nigeria Plc is present in Nigeria across the Mobility, Healthcare and Consumer goods sectors. This latest investment complements CFAO’s existing production plants – NIPEN (BIC© pens and crates) and Yamaha motorcycles. We are very proud to work alongside our partners in developing the industry and creating employment that are so important to Africa’s future.’’

  • Unsafe executive acts on the roads

    These are activities expressed by the Executives or VIPs in words and deeds while driving or when driven. They include the following:

    When driving

    • Depriving your drivers of enough sleep.
    • Over-labouring your drivers.
    • Open caressing of the opposite sex behind the driver seat.
    • Open expression of deep words of love with the opposite sex to the hearing of the driver.
    • Smoking, when the driver is in motion (effect of carbon monoxide on the third party).
    • Encouraging your drivers to indulge in alcohol or other psychoactive drugs.
    1. Encouraging your drivers to over-speed. Journey planning is the solution here.
    • Inadequate attention to vehicle maintenance.
    • Encouraging your drivers to sleep inside vehicles overnight.
    • Encouraging your drivers to change CDs, tune radio stations or charge phone sets when driving.
    • Depriving your drivers from regularly attending capacity building training programmes.
    • Refusing to offer support to your driver when he is going through stress or emotional pressure.
    • Disallowing your drivers from receiving adequate medical treatment for full recovery before resuming driving.
    • 17. Complaining too frequently about the driving of your driver while in motion. He is a professional. Learn to see him and relate with him as such without undue interruptions.
    • Drawing the attention of your driver to something or a person outside the vehicle.
    1. Encouraging your driver to disobey traffic signs, road markings and traffic Officers.
    • Counting of money while in motion.
    1. It may provoke disturbing thoughts in the driver or make him daydream, particularly if he is going through financial challenges at that time and may cause distraction and driving error.
    2. When you withdraw money from the bank, don’t announce to anyone in the bank where you want to travel to. That is, those that know you have money with you should not know where you are travelling to and those that know where you are travelling to should not know that you have money with you because no confidential secretary is confidential anymore (who knows the exceptions?).
    • Expecting too much from your driver by pressurising him to drive beyond his ability or limitation.
    • Not giving the driver freedom to drive according to his knowledge, skill and experience. When in motion, avoid tutoring the driver as if he is a Learner. This will only generate negative emotions in your driver and this can easily lead to avoidable errors in driving.

     

  • Don seeks better implementation for auto policy

    A senior lecturer with the Covenant University, Otta, Ogun State, Dr. Oscar Odiboh, has advocated optional implementation models for the nation’s ailing auto industry.

    Odiboh, who spoke in Lagos recently at the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) monthly industry forum, held in Surulere, made his submission against the background of the four years old Nigeria’s automotive industry development plan (NAIDP) by the Federal Government, which has been roundly criticised by industry stakeholders.

    According to Odiboh, there is an urgent need to re-jig the implementation style of the policy, hence, he suggested three implementation models as follows: Joint implementation, Sole implementation and NEED implementation.

    Under Joint implementation, (which he outlined into partnership/co-investor model, provider model and cap investment model), Odiboh advocated involvement of the Nigeria Auto Manufacturers Association (NAMA), Original Equipment Manufacturers and government as joint deciders, sharing the risks and benefits and shared responsibilities.

    On sole implementation model, he canvassed deregulated private sector and regulated public models; while the NEED implementation models covers the Single need model and multi stage need models.

    Odiboh, who spoke on Implementation of Nigeria’s Auto Policy: The way Forward, insisted that  the industry is divided and may not thrive until the stakeholders collaborate.

    He observed that almost mid-term into the 10- year plan, most of the assembly plants set up in the country lack the standard to compete globally, and can hardly be called assembly plants.

    “What we have at the moment are not real assembly plants, they are glorified joineries. Average 65 per cent of our assembly operations are manual, while 70 per cent of employees are casual,” he said.

    It would be recalled that the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), the Federal Government agency saddled with the responsibility of implementing the auto policy, has repeatedly claimed that there are over 50 auto assembly firms in the country, hence alluding to the success of the policy.

    Odiboh, who noted that players in the sector were frustrated through importation rules, added that more than 60 per cent of tools in the sector are manual.

    Calling for budget cars, Odiboh stressed that the sector’s inability to offer affordable vehicles for mass market would keep used market growing to the detriment of the sector.

  • Coscharis trains Riders for Health members

    Ford Motor Company in conjunction with its dealer, Coscharis Motors, hosted members of Riders for Health Nigeria (Riders) on Ford’s Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) training programme.

    The event took place last  Friday at the Coscharis Motors head office in Lekki.

    The DSFL programme is a global programme aimed at educating drivers about road safety and providing them with safety tips on how to stay safe behind the wheel.

    Participants got the opportunity to gain insight on departure angles, brake distance on gravel and the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and how to use other four-wheel drive functions such as traction control, hill control and locking differential. The Ford Figo and Ranger were used during the DSFL training.

    Coscharis Motors General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications Abiona Babarinde, said: “Ford and Coscharis Motors are very pleased to offer Riders road safety tool in the form of the Driving Skills for Life programme and expand our efforts in promoting safe driving. The team at Coscharis Motor’s completed Ford’s DSFL train the trainer programme and it’s through the knowledge and skills transferred to us that we can continue educating Nigerians on road safety.”

    Country Director for Riders for Health Nigeria Ajayi Kayode said Riders is an international organisation working to improve the capacity and efficiency of health care delivery systems in Africa by ensuring that health workers have uninterrupted access to reliable transportation especially to marginalised and rural communities.

    Kayode said: “We believe that the training will assist with educating our members on road safety, driving techniques, accident prevention and manoeuvres for urban and off-road driving. It’s important to ensure our health workers are safe on the roads when providing much needed medication to communities in rural Nigeria.” Early this year, Ford sponsored two Ford Rangers to Riders in Nigeria as part of the organisation’s Project Better World.

    Riders for Health uses over 70 Ford vehicles across six African countries – Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, The Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia.

  • Hyundai unveils locally assembled Sonata

    Hyundai unveils locally assembled Sonata

    Hyundai has unveiled the remodelled midsized Sonata family sedan with standard and accessible features.

    Assembled locally at the Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited plant in Lagos, the 2018 Sonata equipped with proximity key with push-button start, power driver’s seat as well as shiftronic gear system with courtesy door lamps.

    The car  is also equipped with rear parking sensors/back warning camera, engine immobiliser and perceptible front grill among others.

    Hyundai Motors Nigeria said “It has enhanced the Sonata’s package with better value proposition to keep it fresh against increasing competent rivals.”

    Its Head of Sales and Marketing, Gaurav Vashisht told auto reporters at the launch of the new Sonata that almost every exterior element of the car has been reworked, beginning from the forward A-pillars.

    “Unlike its predecessor, the front end of the car for instance, has become more muscular, blending with Hyundai’s new cascading grille design with an aggressive lower facia, new headlights and a reshaped hood,” Vashisht explained.

    He said Hyundai has also thoroughly reworked the rear side, which now incorporates new trunked-lid, taillights and rear bumper with a marginally adapted interior that plagiarizes high-end cars’ centre stack though retaining its intuitive layout knobs and controls of higher quality feel and a new three-spoke steering wheel.

    “When it comes to delivering everything you would expect from a midsize family sedan, the 2018 Hyundai Sonata does not disappoint. It has a spacious interior with worthy seats and a long list of standard features and well-laid out controls that reassures on smooth ride,” he added.

    The 2018 Hyundai Sonata, he said, is available in six trim levels, but only the Elite SE 2.0L and Elite SE 2.4L variants, which are already in designated HMNL showrooms, will be marketed locally.

    Standard features on both models include front wheel drive, a rear lip spoiler, cruise control, full power accessories, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, automatic control/rear air-conditioning vents, luxury leather seats and a 60/40 split-folding seatback.

    Technology features however include Bluetooth connectivity, a CD player, radio, automatic headlights, rearview camera, a five-inch LCD display, USB port and an auxiliary audio input and Hyundai Security System.

    While both variants are powered by a four-cylinder engine; the 2.0-Litre variant is mated to a 157ps @ 6200rpm and the 2.4-Litre is fused to a 171ps @ 6000rpm. Both models are however, paired to a six-speed automatic transmission that raises the EPA fuel economy numbers to 23mpg highway from 22/31mpg.

    The SE 2.0-Litre model is on the other hand, mounted on a 17″ Alloy wheels while the SE 2.4-Litre seats on 18″ Alloy wheels.

    Hyundai in its typical interior design precision leaves no one in doubt as it ingeniously detailed the Sonata’s cabin. The materials and built quality for instance are at par with the class, donning plusher door trim, well-padded and supportive leather seats with additional cabin accents for a more premium feel.