MIDBANK/THEMBALETHU BUS DRIVERS COMPETE AGAINST BEST IN THE WORLD

PRESS RELEASE 18 August 2010
JOB (JJ) NENE and BETTY (BN) SHABANGU, 2 Bus Drivers from Midbank/Thembalethu Bus Services have been selected to represent South Africa in the international UNION DES CHAUFFERURES ROUTIERS WORLD Professional Drivers’ Championship in Austria from 2 – 5 September 2010.

Job and Betty participated in and won the Male Bus Driver and Female Bus Driver categories of the 2009 National Driver of the Year Competition in Polokwane in Limpopo Province.

Winners from three (3) competitions held in Mpumalanga Province competed for a place in the Mpumalanga Provincial Team and represented the Province in the National Competition.

For Job and Betty their biggest challenge will be to drive the European model buses with a left hand steering wheel. We know that they will do well in the Championship and wish them the best of luck during the competition.

The National Driver of the Year Competition, better known as DoTY, is organized annually under the sponsorship of the Dept of Public Works, Roads & Transport and various Road Safety Bodies in South Africa. The main objective of this competition is to promote road safety amongst Drivers and Operators of Heavy Vehicles. The competition has been presented for the past 27 years and is regarded as a prime event on the Heavy Vehicle Fraternity annual Calender of Events.

The competition seeks to promote, stimulate and improve Defensive Driving skills as well as training of Drivers to effectively diminish factors like damage to vehicles and equipment, and also counter high fuel consumption. Not only Drivers, but everybody in the company from the Managing Director down to the Bus Washer become more aware of effective driving skills. Numerous companies like Midbank and Thembalethu Bus Services have experienced the value of time and money spent on proper training of their Drivers. However, the biggest value must be the contribution towards road safety in general.

The competition is presented in the following categories:
1. Regional Male Bus Driver
2. Regional Female Bus Driver
3. Regional Midi Bus Driver
4. Regional Rigid Truck Driver
5. Regional Articulated Truck Driver.

The competition also focuses on 4 different tests of competence:
1. Theory
a. Based on K53 (Road Signs and Rules of the Road)
2. Pre-Trip
a. Driver ability to check the vehicle for roadworthiness before undertaking the trip
b. Driver ability to operate the vehicle in confined spaces without causing problems to other motorists and/or damage to the vehicle
3. Road Test
a. Driver ability to operate the vehicle in a real traffic situation while sharing the road with other road users and obeying the rules of the road.
4. Economic Driving
a. Driver ability to use less fuel in a specific period of time given.

PHOTOGRAPH:

The attached photographs shows Job Nene and Betty Shabangu with Mr Johann Bonthuys and Mr Louis Molapo, 2 of the company Directors