Road safety drives innovative SA Taxi, Bridgestone partnership

 

Launch of new tyre designed for South African road conditions provides minibus taxi owners nationwide with affordable and safe option.

 

7 October 2019, Midrand, Johannesburg – With South Africa having one of the world’s poorest road safety records and nearly 20% of accidents involving tyre failure as a contributing factor, more must be done to ensure the safety of the nation’s roads.

 

To this end, Bridgestone South Africa has entered into a strategic partnership with SA Taxi to improve safety on our roads with the introduction of a tyre designed exclusively to meet not only the stringent requirements of the Ses’fikile Toyota Quantum minibus taxis but also the Original Auto Equipment Manufacturer requirements.

 

This deal is specific to the Bridgestone 613V 195/R15C sized tyre, which will be known in the market as the Bridgestone Taxi R15.

 

The partnership is the first of its kind between a tyre manufacturer and the taxi industry. Through SA Taxi Rewards, an associated multi-faceted loyalty programme, operators will be able to save R400 per tyre and earn rewards on parts, maintenance, and fuel.

 

Available from Supa Quick outlets nationwide and the accredited SA Taxi Auto repair centre; the Bridgestone Taxi R15 provides taxi owners with a cost-effective offering that not only delivers a smoother driving experience but a safer one as well. Human factors attribute to 73% of road crashes, vehicle factors are at 14.1%, roads infrastructure and environment attribute to 12.3%. In total, 11.2% of fatal road crashes are related to tyres. With poor quality tyres losing their thread faster, the Bridgestone Taxi R15 fulfils a critical role in the South African market.

 

Around R3 billion in fuel is consumed over a distance that equates to 25 000 trips to the moon and back per year, which results in over one million tyres being used and needing replacement each year.

 

“The introduction of the Taxi R15s will result in an increase in demand and sales for Bridgestone tyres. Given that these tyres will be produced locally, we will create much-needed jobs in South Africa, boosting the economy through this contribution to the manufacturing sector,” says Jacques Fourie, CEO of Bridgestone South Africa.

 

The taxi industry transports 15 million South Africans daily across a fleet of 250 000 vehicles. Getting people from point A to point B safely is the foundation on which the country’s economy is built. This partnership aids taxi owners in getting access to a world-class tyre that is one of the safest in its class and affordable to buy.

 

“This deal between SA Taxi and Bridgestone will further allow us to stimulate an industry that is critical to the lifeblood of the country’s economy. It is mandatory that vehicles we finance are fitted with a telemetry device that collects data on everything from trip duration and distance covered through to driver behaviour and braking events. It is recommended for all vehicles insured by SA Taxi to have the device fitted.

 

“Combining this with the cost-effective Taxi R15s we can ensure the small businesses in our fleet operate more efficiently and in future will include notifying them when tyres are due for replacement.

 

“Furthermore, we can direct them to the closest fitment centre on their routes to speed up the process and minimise the impact on their operations,” says Maroba Maduma, Communications Executive at SA Taxi.

SA Taxi, a major subsidiary of Transaction Capital, is a vertically integrated business platform that improves the sustainability of the minibus taxi industry and the communities it serves.

 

Bridgestone

 

About Bridgestone in Europe, Middle East and Africa

 

We’re the EMEA business of the world’s largest tyre and rubber company.

For almost 90 years, we’ve been providing the confidence to get people and goods where they need to go as conveniently as possible, without interruption.

Today, in a fast-changing world, we’re evolving to provide real solutions to the real problems our customers face. This is why Bridgestone EMEA is rapidly transforming from a premium tyre producer into a mobility solutions leader. We’re pioneering cutting-edge products and solutions with some of the industry’s most advanced factories, world-beating technologies and coveted partnerships. As our transformation journey continues, we’re working to shape the future of mobility.

 

We’re present in 38 countries in EMEA, employing more than 19,000 people. We have 15 tyre plants in the region, a major R&D centre, and a proving ground. We’re the largest R&D spender in our industry, investing around €800 million every year across the globe.

 

For more information about Bridgestone, please visit www.bridgestone.co.za. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.