John Williams Commercial Vehicles Bloemfontein has handed over five new Mercedes-Benz Axor 2628/45 trucks to road surface specialist Velocity Road Rehabilitation South Africa a subsidiary of Mvelaserve.

Cornel Oelofse, general manager: new commercial vehicle sales at John Williams Commercial Vehicles Bloemfontein states that the Axor is a comprehensible choice for Velocity SA’s requirements, with its all-rounder features, including robust design and long service intervals.

“The Axor qualifies as the best fit transport solution for the Velocity Road Repair Machine, a fully, self-contained unit that’s used to repair potholes and road surface defects instantly and effectively.”

Frank Cattich, managing director at Velocity SA, confirmed that one of the key deciding factors in selecting the Axor as their choice carrier was the roadside assistance and the extensive support network that Mercedes-Benz offers its clients, “especially as the network extends across the whole of Southern Africa, accommodating our future expansion strategy”.

“We are committed to minimising our Southern African truck operators’ downtime, supporting their value chain and ensuring peace of mind by providing access to our 24/7 call centre and fast reaction, back up service,” says Thireshin Rama, national sales manager at Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

The trucks have been fitted with high velocity technology equipment that will change the face of road maintenance in Southern Africa. The cutting edge technology, developed since 1985 and implemented over nearly two decades in various countries including the United Kingdom with its severe winters and wet conditions, has proven its worth as the fast, economic alternative to conventional road patching.

“The polymer modified emulsions, licensed and produced locally, have been developed in conjunction with Colas UK. This revolutionary product is ideal for both surface and preventative maintenance. While the focus in South Africa is predominantly on road repair, preventative maintenance is also available at a reasonable cost.” Cattich goes on to explain that Velocity SA will initially be targeting the pothole problems in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West and the Free State, with plans for expanding operations to the rest of the country and further afield.”

Operator training already began in July 2011 and with each unit capable of covering up to 16 km of road per day, irrespective of the condition of the road, South Africa is in for a surprising facelift of its road defects.

“We are grateful for the commitment and professional service that John Williams Commercial Vehicles Bloemfontein and Mercedes-Benz South Africa have provided. The fast turnaround time of the trucks was a big factor in helping us to mobilise our South African operations within our targeted time frame,” maintains Cattich.

“Velocity SA’s operators will benefit from the Axor’s reliability, safety and driver-oriented comfort while rendering their much needed road repair services across South Africa,” adds Oelofse.

“We are proud to be associated with Velocity SA and its work in upgrading our infrastructure. Quality roads enhance the driving experience for every road user. More importantly, potholes that are repaired quickly and efficiently eliminate the safety risk that they pose to drivers. We look forward to providing future additions to the Velocity SA fleet.”