Bodaboda Cyclists Frustrate Street Parking Managers in Uganda

MULTIPLEX, the contractors for managing street parking in Kampala, is counting losses because bodaboda cyclists occupy the parking slots for vehicles.

Paul Gagaya, the Multiplex operations manager, said unregulated bodaboda business operators could compromise their contractual obligations.

"The cyclists just park in any empty slot, hence restricting access for cars that would otherwise have parked in the space," said Gagaya.

He said the firm was in talks with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to solve the stalemate. Patrick Sanya, the commissioner for transport regulations in the works and transport ministry, said there was need to gazette bodaboda stages to bring order in the city.

Simon Muhumuza, the city authority spokesman, said efforts to gazette stages for the cyclists failed because politicians intervene all the time they try. He, however, said the authority's chief executive would meet the riders soon to find a way forward.

Atanansi Kafeero, the chairman for bodaboda riders in Kampala Central division, said it was upon KCCA to designate stages for them.

Credit: allafrican.com

5th August 2011

Honda Recalls 1.5 Million Vehicles

Honda will voluntarily recall approximately 1.5 million vehicles in the U.S. to update the software that controls the automatic transmission. In some cars, a transmission part can be damaged if the car is shifted quickly between Reverse, Neutral and Drive, as might be done when trying to free a vehicle stuck in snow or mud.

If the part, a secondary shaft bearing, is damaged it can cause the engine to stall. It could also cause the car's parking gear mechanism to jam, allowing the car to roll even when the gear selector has been placed in the Park position. To fix the problem, Honda will update transmission control software in the car, reducing the maximum engine speed at which gears can be changed between Drive and Reverse.

The vehicles involved in the recall are model year 2007 through 2010 Honda CR-Vs, 2005 through 2008 Elements and 2004 through 2010 Accords with 4-cylinder engines. 

No injuries or deaths have been reported as a result of this problem, Honda said.

Honda Motor Company says it will begin notifying customers of the recall on or about August 31,2011, encouraging them to take their vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer for the automatic transmission control module software update. The update, which will be free of charge, will ease the transition between gears and reduce the possibility of damage. After August 31st, customers will also be able to find out if their vehicles are affected by going to www.recalls.honda.com or by calling 1-800-999-1009, and selecting option 4. The Honda recall campaign number is R89. Honda owners of Accords, CR-Vs or Elements from the affected model years with concerns or questions may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 and refer to NHTSA Campaign ID No. 11V395000.

Oil falls to lowest level in 6 months

Oil dropped by an even greater amount, losing nearly 6 percent, to a six month low on Thursday - near $86 a barrel! It settled at $86.63 Thursday - the lowest level in 6 months. Investors shrugged off U.S. job gains and focused on lingering concerns about the global economy. Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery fell $1.70 to $84.93 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

This should be good news for motorists. If oil stays at the lower levels, the drop could be seen within days at gas pumps across the United States. Fred Rozell, retail pricing director at Oil Price Information Service, said the recent slide in oil could cut between 20 to 35 cents from a gallon of regular over the next month. According to auto club AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service, retail gasoline prices slipped overnight to $3.70 per gallon. 

"You could see some sizable declines at the pump," Rozell said.

Prices listed on a marquis at an Exxon station
 July 26, 2011

Oil prices pulled back from an early surge. A government report on Friday morning showed employers added 117,000 jobs in July. Unemployment fell slightly to 9.1 percent. This news helped push crude as high as $88.32 before it tapped off. Earlier in the summer, investors were still holding on to the notion that fuel prices would rise as economies in the U.S. and Europe recovered from the Great Recession. Even a pullback in U.S. gasoline consumption couldn't push oil back from around $100 per barrel. The drop in crude—oil is down from near $115 in May—should also lower costs for products such as gasoline and help free up some consumer purchasing power.

Source Yahoo News/Chris Kahn (AP)

And Now my Car is Overheating

If you didn't follow my advice on how to help you car beat the heat you might of had some overheating issues with the recent heat. There are ways to deal with an overheating vehicle until you can get it to a shop or home to be fixed and not wreck your vehicle.

Turn up the heat
Now this may not be what you want to do on a hot day, but if your vehicle is starting to overheat you can head it off by turning on the heater to max temp and max speed. This will help cool your engine down as the heater core is basically another radiator thus by letting hot coolant flow through it and blowing air across it will increase your vehicle's ability to get rid of excess heat. Please roll your windows down and open your sun roof otherwise it is going to get really hot really fast in your car.

Add some Water

Now if your vehicle has overheated please shut it down and let it boil over and cool down. This will prevent you from causing serious damage. Now once it is cooled down (about 30 minutes) open the cap and go find some water to fill it back up with. The water doesn't have to be cold. As I mentioned in a previous post water transfers heat better than coolant so by refilling with water you will be able to increase the cooling capacity.

Fix that leak

If your vehicle leaks coolant some where (sometimes coolant leaks are really hard to find) you should always carry some extra coolant in your trunk or back seat. If you let it get too low your vehicle will loose its ability to stay cool and may overheat. This is the worst kind of overheating as some parts of the engine may be starved for coolant such as the heads. This can be disastrous as you could blow a head gasket, crack the head, or crack the block which may be an engine ending failure. If you don't have some premixed coolant then regular water will work as will those stop leak products. 

The good news

The good news is that most gas stations carry products that can help to temporally resolve your overheating issues. Most will sell some automotive products like oil, coolant, stop leak, and gas additives. Also they carry water which you can use in a pinch and/or have a hose and spigot out back. Once you get the vehicle home or to a repair shop get the issue resolved. This may be replacing hoses, a radiator, or a flush and fill. Getting a flush and fill will do wonders if you have a vehicle that has a neglected coolant system, if you regularly exchange your coolant you probably don't need a flush and fill as it will only cost more money.

Save Money on Car Repair Bills in Denver

With labor rates at other auto repair shops in Denver climbing as high as $120+/hour, you can get an ASE Master Certified Technician every time in Denver for only $80/hour at Mastermind Enterprises. Get quality and value with a 12 month/12,000 mile nationwide warranty! You always have an automotive professional working on your vehicle and you always get a low labor rate.

When the ‘check engine’ light comes on, it always manages to ruin one’s day because you know what is forthcoming: an expensive repair bill. Yet some owners may not have it as bad as others, based simply upon the state they live in.

CarMD analyzed roughly 80,000 repairs made on vehicles between January 1 and December 31, 2010. The average cost of repairs does not include tires, brakes, or mechanical parts (including belts and hoses), but does include repairs associated with the vehicle’s on-board diagnostic computer.

According to the report, drivers in Arizona paid the most for car repairs, with an average bill of $421.49. Conversely, those in the District of Columbia paid the least, with an average of $265.29. What’s the deal? CarMD suggests it’s partly because Arizona’s dry and extremely warm weather — while somewhat immune to the rust bug — places a considerable strain on a vehicle’s subsystems. On average, car owners in the state pay 23 percent more than the national average of $365.04, but it’s not alone.

States in located in the western corner of our country round out the top five most expensive markets; averages for New Mexico, Colorado, California, and Nevada reportedly amount $406.81, $397.83, $394.49, and $393.96, respectively.

On the other end of the spectrum? Missouri follows D.C. with a state average of $297.27, while Ohio trails in third place by a dollar, with an average of $298.49. Interestingly, CarMD claims states with lower repair costs had more gas cap-related problems, and more repairs (12 percent in D.C. alone) were made at no cost, likely because the repairs were made under manufacturer’s warranty on newer cars.

So, where do you think your state ranks? We’ve included the top 10 most expensive and the top 10 least expensive.

Most Expensive: 
1. Arizona $421.49
2. New Mexico $406.81
3. Colorado $397.83
4. California $394.49
5. Nevada $393.96
6. Washington $386.62
7. Hawaii $385.54
8. North Dakota $384.67
9. Rhode Island $384.24
10. South Dakota $374.61

Least Expensive: 
1. D.C. $265.29
2. Missouri $297.27
3. Ohio $298.49
4. Wisconsin $298.76
5. Nebraska $301.79
6. Mississippi $315.43
7. Tennessee $316.64
8. Indiana $317.33
9. New Hampshire $318.14
10. Minnesota $318.54

Source: CarMD

"No Parking, No Finance!" for Homebuyers in SA

The availability of parking is rarely a main concern for homebuyers, but it is becoming an increasingly important factor in property values, explains Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa…

Despite the infrastructure developments to improve South Africa’s transport system during the build up to the Soccer World Cup event, our public transport system is not yet at the level of development which would see most city dwellers give up their vehicles. A case in point is the recent stranding of thousands of people who participated in Car Free Day on 20 October due to a technical problem with the Gautrain.  

As such, the majority of commuters must, by necessity, have their own vehicles. And in most households both partners are breadwinners which means the family often has two cars. The result is an estimated 9-million cars on our roads, growing by 50 000 each month as the population, and particularly the middle class, continues to grow. All these cars must be parked somewhere.

"In cities around the world, parking is a major issue due to the rapid development within CBDs, the already limited space and the cost of providing parking in areas where land values are high,"  comments Goslett.  "But even in residential developments, space constraints and land costs have resulted in many sectional title schemes relying on street and public open space parking to address the issue."

Goslett explains that in line with the theory of supply and demand, constrained supply and raising demand results in higher prices. "Adequate parking arrangements definitely add value to a property, but its independent, intrinsic value is also increasing as demand increases. Hence, the importance of parking is also affecting issues such as insurance and property finance."

Sufficient and suitable parking at any property, whether residential of commercial, will affect the value of the property, the use of the property as well as the rental that can be charged.

"Increasingly, buyers are considering the lack of a garage on a property, or insufficient parking bays for the number of occupants in a sectional title unit, as a drawback. They recognise the inconvenience of parking situated some distance from the house or unit, the increased theft risk for a vehicle not locked up in a garage as well as the possibility of weather damage if a vehicle is parked in the open," says Goslett.   

The increase in the intrinsic value of parking is also evident from the findings of a recent global CBD parking rate survey, which revealed that London - at R7114 per month - is the most expensive place in the world to park a car.  Other cities in the survey’s top ten list of most expensive places to park include Hong Kong, Sydney, Perth, Oslo, Amsterdam, Vienna, Athens and Copenhagen.

"In South Africa, parking is also becoming an increasingly sought-after commodity. Parking rates in South African cities range from around R500 per month in Johannesburg’s CBD to more than R1000 per month in Cape Town’s CBD," says Goslett. "A parking bay in Johannesburg’s CBD will cost around R50 000 and, even in the south of Johannesburg, a parking bay in a sectional title scheme can fetch up to R80 000.

In Clifton, Cape Town, the price goes up to as much as R500 000 for a single parking bay. In fact, last year, a small garage in Clifton was sold for a record price of R2-million.

"Some sectional title owners have sold or ceded their parking bays in light of the high prices achievable, but no longer having a parking bay will definitely negatively affect the value of the unit in the long term."

The importance of parking has also extended beyond these factors to impact the homeowner’s insurance and even the ability to obtain finance for a property purchase.

"The latest SAPS crime statistics show that in the 2009/2010 reporting period, 71 776 vehicles were stolen – that’s an average of almost 6000 vehicles a month. Understandably, insurance companies will apply a higher rating to an insurance policy for a vehicle which is not parked in a locked garage and even more so if the vehicle is parked outside due to a lack of parking on the property," notes Goslett.

"In addition, two of the major banks in South Africa recently announced that finance will no longer be granted on sectional title units without on-site parking. This shows that the banks have also recognised the growing importance of parking in determining the value of a property."

Homebuyers will do well to carefully consider the availability and suitability of the parking offered by a property.

"When viewing a property, assess the existing parking facilities and the possibility of extending these. Is there adequate protected parking for the family’s vehicles? Is there sufficient parking for visitors? Parking may not be at the top of a buyer’s most important criteria, but it can make a significant difference to the long-term value of the property," concludes Goslett.  

Credit: South African News

July 2011

“Differential Costs of Garages & Parking Bays” What you need to know

The cost of parking is an important consideration when buying in a town or resort in South Africa, particularly if you have a number of cars.

Recent survey conducted shows that a garage or private parking space isn’t always included in the price when you buy a new apartment or town-house in South Africa, although secure parking may be available at an additional cost, possibly in an underground garage. Modern detached homes usually have a garage or a basement that can be used as a garage. Smaller homes normally have a single garage, while larger properties may have garaging for up to four cars. A lock-up garage is important in areas with a high incidence of car theft and theft from cars (e.g. most cities), and is also useful to protect your car from climatic extremes – particularly too much sun and heat.

Without a private garage or parking space, parking can be a nightmare (and dangerous), particularly in cities and during the summer in busy resorts or developments. Free on-street parking can be difficult or impossible to find in cities and large towns, and in any case may be inadvisable for anything but a wreck. If you’re buying in a large development, note that the nearest parking area may be some distance from your home. This may be an important factor, particularly if you aren’t up to carrying heavy shopping hundreds of metres and possibly up several flights of stairs.

It’s usually cheaper to rent a parking bay than a garage, but even these can be expensive: in outlying areas of Cape Town, for example, the price of a parking bay is between R38,000 (€3,900) and R45,000 (€4,600); and in the City Bowl or the fashionable central area of Long Street, a bay can cost between R70,000 (€7,250) and R100,000 (€10,300). The cost is slightly higher in Downtown Johannesburg but in Sandton City, it is about thrice the value.  

The cost of a garage or parking space isn’t always recouped when selling, although it makes a property more attractive and may clinch a sale. Parking isn’t usually a problem when buying an old home in a rural area, although there may not be a purpose-built garage.

Credit: V-Park Staff on Holiday in SA

28 July 2011