A 25 year old Eastern Cape Taxi Driver Lunga Tilolo from East London Taxi Association won a Toyota Ses’fikile Quantum to the value of R267 000 on the Brandhouse Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) Number One Taxi Driver campaign held in Mpumalanga, Nelspruit on 3 November 2009.
Brandhouse RTMC Number one Taxi Driver campaign initiated by Brandhouse in 2004 where it was piloted in four provinces with 33 taxi ranks and with the number of 240 000 taxi drivers was reached. Toyota South Africa is a significant sponsor of the campaign.
The winner, Lunga Tilolo, went through all the phases of the competition. He went through the first phase which is practical and theory test that was conducted by Toyota advance driving team which was held in East London taxi rank on 16 June 2009, the second phase was the provincial award ceremony which was held on 23 September 2009 in East London Regent Hotel, he was crowned as the provincial taxi number one driver for 2009.
He then received a four day advance and defensive driving course in Pretoria at Gerotek where he was assessed against other eight participants from different provinces. During the assessment Lunga Tilolo managed to obtain 484 points out of 500 points, followed by Mr D Bruintjies from the Western Cape Province with 432 points and in third position it was Mr T Bosiame from Northern Cape with 430 points.
During the national award ceremony which is the last phase of the campaign, he was crowned as the national number one taxi driver of the year 2009 and he won Toyota Ses’fikile Quantum worth R267 000 sponsored by Toyota South Africa. His owner who happened to be his father received a prize of R7 500 worth of vouchers, and his association, East London Taxi Association, won a cash price worth R5 000.
The second winner from Western Cape Mr Bruintjies walked away with a cash price worth R25 000 and his owner with vouchers worth R5 000. Mr T Bosiame from Northern Cape which stand as the second runners up received R20 000 cash and the owner receive R2 500 worth of vouchers.
This is the first time this award has gone to the Eastern Cape province and came at a time when the province is rejoicing in the success of coming first for driver of the year for a second successive year for trucks and busses.
The province has taken both titles and a step in the right direction for better drivers towards 2010 and reducing carnage on the roads.
Enquiries:
Ncedo Kumbaca
Cell: 082 442 2388
Issued by: Department of Roads and Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
6 November 2009
