The handing back of company car and van keys or fobs to employers in order to avoid benefit-in-kind taxation during the coronavirus lockdown needs careful management, the Association of Fleet Professionals has warned. There remained both pertinent questions for HMRC around the issue and a range of potential practical problems to resolve, explained co-chair Caroline Sandall. She said, “During … [Read more...]
Insurance News
Call for rip off insurance renewals to be outlawed
Drivers want legal steps to be taken to put the brakes on rip-off car insurance renewal pricing. According to the GoCompare Car Insurance study, 4.7 million drivers3 were caught out by the auto-renewal trap - where their insurer auto-renews their policy for another year if they haven’t checked for a better deal. The practice costs motorists £1.2bn a year in higher … [Read more...]
Newslines 11 April
The Covid-19 lockdown has reduced traffic on the roads and the number of accidents but has also brought an increase in speeding, according to data from My Policy Group, the telematics and data analytics business. This is a cause for concern as increasingly erratic driving behaviour could contribute to a rise in road traffic accidents, at a time when emergency services need to focus on fighting … [Read more...]
Lockdown security warning to businesses
Security of used cars and vans without access to formal storage facilities could be a growing problem for the remarketing sector over the course of the coronavirus lockdown, says the Vehicle Remarketing Association. The body, which represents organisations involved in the remarketing of 1.5m cars and vans every year, said that large numbers of vehicles left largely unattended in storage could … [Read more...]
Safety checks remain vital despite MoT extension
Following the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s decision to issue a six-month exemption period for MOTs that expire after 30 March, insurethebox is helping its customers make sure their vehicles remain safe during this time. While the government has allowed garages to remain open, social distancing advises against such appointments. As a result, insurethebox is reminding drivers that it is … [Read more...]
MoT tests extended six months
The temporary MoT exemption is positive as it will allow vital services to continue and aftersales workshops to prioritise essential repair works on critical vehicles, said Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers Association. On Sunday 22 March, NFDA wrote to the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP asking for a three-month MoT moratorium. Today, the Government has communicated that vehicle … [Read more...]
Tradelines 25 March
Petrol prices crashed to an 18-year low this week. Falling oil wholesale cost saving are now reaching forecourts and Morrison’s has slashed 12ppl petrol and 8ppl diesel with prices at about 104ppl and 111ppl respectively, says the RAC, which is urging drivers to only go out if vital and support small independent retailers if they can. National Express timetables will be reduced today after which … [Read more...]
Theory test pass-rate falls again
Pass rates for learner car drivers taking theory tests have fallen to their lowest point in ten years, according to new government figures. The Department for Transport figures reveal that of the 1,470,000 learners who took the theory test during the last 12 months, just 47 percent passed. This follows a consistent year-on-year fall from 2009-10 when 64 percent passed. The data, released … [Read more...]
MoT penalties soar
The MOT test changed in May 2018, with tighter rules around emissions and safety as well as higher fines for drivers caught with an unroadworthy vehicle. A freedom of information request revealed 68,027 have been issued with penalty charges across England and Wales by police since the changes. The Met Police force caught the most drivers (15,772), followed by West Yorkshire (6,019), Merseyside … [Read more...]
Newslines 13 March
The first BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe goes on sale this week from £25,815. Unveiled in November, it completes the 2 Series line and the company’s four-door coupe range and will be available with a choice of 140hp or 306hp petrol engines and a 190hp diesel. Almost half the Ford UK 400 dealers could be axed in a radical shakeup to boost profits by the car-maker, reports media. Ford has declined to … [Read more...]