September 6, 2021 - Heels & Horsepower Magazine

Mercedes-Benz Buses South Africa delivers 100th bus to Putco Limited

vuyi on September 6, 2021

Mercedes-Benz Buses and Putco Limited have continued their successful partnership at the official handover of the 100th bus to the bus operator.

The milestone handover is subsequent to a significant order of 100 Mercedes-Benz buses made by Putco Limited in 2020. The delivery of the fleet was done in batches beginning in December 2020 and culminating in the last 12 buses being delivered end of August 2021.

The special occasion was graced by the presence of amongst others; Larimar/Putco Managing Director, Franco Pisapia; Head of Mercedes-Benz Buses, Jason Brunninger; General Manager Marcopolo South Africa, Lucus Garbardo.

The first 23 buses were delivered in December and we have already seen a shift in perception from the general public and happier passengers.

– FRANCO PISAPIA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, LARIMAR/PUTCO

The handover is a strong reaffirmation of the brand’s ongoing commitment to redefining and shaping the future of the transport industry in Southern Africa.

The new buses comprise of OF1726, front-engine bus chassis equipped with the Marcopolo Torino G7 bus bodywork, adding to Putco’s remarkable fleet of over 1 850 vehicles.

Putco Limited is the biggest commuter bus operator in South Africa and proudly transports more than 230 000 commuters daily in and around Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and Limpopo providing safe and convenient commuting services.

We are humbled by the faith and confidence that Putco Limited has placed in our brand

– Jason Brunninger, Head of Mercedes-Benz Buses

“The handover of the 100th Mercedes-Benz bus today, is a culmination of hard work, dedication, and collaboration from both the Larimar/Putco and the Mercedes-Benz Bus teams. The first 23 buses were delivered in December and we have already seen a shift in perception from the general public and happier passengers, said Franco Pisapia, Managing Director, Larimar/Putco.

Jason Brunninger, Head of Mercedes-Benz Buses had this to say about the partnership: “We are humbled by the faith and confidence that Putco Limited has placed in our brand. Together with our body builder partner Marcopolo South Africa, we have been working tirelessly to ensure premium quality in every detail. We are proud that our vehicles are contributing to the economic success of Putco Limited and to the overall transport industry across the region to ensure our people are safe at all times”.

Car Tip of the Week: Summer heat isn’t necessarily child friendly

vuyi on September 6, 2021

As we head into summer, its important to remember the dangers of leaving toddlers, the elderly and pets inside a hot car.

It takes very little time for the interior of a car to heat up; and what many adults don’t seem to know is that a child’s body also heats up much faster than that of an adult. In fact, a child’s internal organs begin to shut down once their core temperature reaches or surpasses 40°C.

On a day when the outside temperature reaches 30°C, it would take approximately 10 minutes for the interior of a car to heat up to 40.5°C.

It may sound incomprehensible that one might forget their child in a car in a hot parking lot but with the ever increasing stresses of “life during COVID_19”, coupled with our ever changing work schedules; leaving a child in a hot car is indeed plausible.

Things to help prevent the unthinkable:

Always check the back seat and make sure all children are out of the car before locking it and walking away.
If someone else is driving your child, always check to make sure he has arrived safely.
Keep your car locked when it is parked to prevent a curious child from entering when no one is around. Many hot car deaths have occurred when a child mistakenly locks himself inside.
Make sure children do not have easy access to your car keys.
Teach children that cars are not safe places to play.
Keep rear fold-down seats closed to prevent a child from crawling into the trunk from inside the car.
Remind children that cars, especially car trunks, should not be used for games like hide-and-seek.