Nyaradzo Life Assurance acquires specified hearses…..News Release
By Insurance24
HARARE, Nyaradzo Life Assurance’s funeral services division has acquired three hearses which are on standard Toyota bodies modified to Nyaradzo’s specifications.
The three Toyota 2.4 L 4×4 GD6 engine hearses were delivered yesterday
Reasons for the Design of the Vehicles
Nyaradzo Group has clients who are spread around the country, the region and the whole world. The desire for one to be buried in the country of one’s birth and in one’s rural home is very strong. We take pride in the fact that we honour this desire through ensuring that we have the necessary vehicles, particularly hearses that can reach any destination in Zimbabwe.
The hearses that we have been using to date were standard trucks that were then fitted with a canopy from another supplier. This was not an ideal situation.A decision was reached to design a bespoke hearse that was factory made meaning that the finishing could be streamlined and finer touches incorporated.
The result is a robust hearse that can withstand the ruggedness of the terrain we (in particular our drivers) often find ourselves having to navigate as we strive to honour our promise to our clients to transport the remains of the deceased from the place of their passing on to their final resting place, anywhere within Zimbabwe.
We have taken delivery of three hearses to start with which will be deployed to our branches in Harare, Bulawayo and Gokwe. We will test these vehicles over a period of time and if necessary, will continuously improve and modify them where necessary using Toyota South Africa’s expertise.
Full back-up in terms of spares and maintenance will be provided by Toyota Zimbabwe.
The investment in these hearses shows a commitment to design and use products that are specifically tailor-made for our road conditions. It shows that we are an organisation that is determined to invest in and offer solutions for the Zimbabwe public.
Our partnership with both the local Toyota office, Toyota South Africa and Toyota Japan proves that innovation knows no borders and that Zimbabwe is indeed open for business.
Specific Improvements
The improvements on the vehicles include the following:-
1) Platform Design– The platform where the coffin or casket is placed has been redesigned. The platform is usually carpeted but in the new hearses, vinyl material has been used for ease of cleaning and for pathogen control.
2) Canopy Door – The canopy door has been fabricated so that it is 100% dust proof to prevent dust from entering the hearse, particularly as it travels in rural areas and on dust roads.
3) Accessory Compartment – Each hearse has a modernised accessory compartment. We have done away with the open compartment which was blocked off with curtains and replaced these with a movable drawer which is lockable.
4) Canopy Joints – The hearse no longer has rubbers that join the body to the canopy. The canopy shape at the front is aerodynamically designed to curtail wind deflation.
5) Integrated Prototype – There are less joined moving parts on each vehicle making it an integrated hearse prototype.
6) Clearance – Each hearse has been designed, tested and approved for use in difficult conditions, especially in rural areas. Because of the high rise with enough clearance from the ground, it is more capable of being driven on roads that are not level without the road scraping against and likely damaging the chassis and underbody.
