The Freight sector wants Government funds redirected to keep Britain moving after the Coronavirus epidemic eases. With more than 12,000 people losing their jobs in the past week across the UK, and many more redundancies expected as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme winds down, the business group representing the logistics sector is urging government to permit the switching of the industry’s … [Read more...]
Cardiff-led consortium win £44m for CS chip cluster
A Cardiff University-led consortium has won a £43.7m bid to develop a Compound Semiconductor powerhouse in South Wales which will help future automotive, communications and transport systems among other industries. Government funding provided through UK Research and Innovation’s flagship Strength in Places Fund will build a world-leading cluster of excellence in CS technologies bringing economic … [Read more...]
Warning over cutting corners on driver checks
Transport and logistics companies must not cut corners on new staff hurredly engaged to meet demands as a result of a spike in work with the Coronavirus-19 epidemic. With statistics from LinkedIn revealing that delivery drivers and warehouse workers are among the roles that have received the highest number of applications during the Coronavirus lockdown, global background screening provider, … [Read more...]
Covid-19 virus impact being felt as time passes
The true impact of the Covid-19 lockdown and loss of new car production is beginning to be appreciated. UK showrooms closed for over 12 weeks but the factories making cars closed for varying periods of time and this contrasted with other parts of the world where the impact was much less. Although the global automotive industry has been hard hit due to COVID-19, the UK market has suffered … [Read more...]
168,000 automotive jobs under threat say SMMT
One in six jobs are at risk of redundancy without help from the government in restarting production of the automotive sectors, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The SMMT wants emergency funding, permanent short-time working, business rate holidays, and VAT cuts to stem the flow of job losses as showroom reopen and production lines are restarting, it said. About 168,000 people … [Read more...]
White Dove Suzuki opens in Cardiff
One of South Wales’ longest established motoring families has a new member. White Dove Motor Group, founded in 1961, has added the Suzuki franchise to its current portfolio of SEAT and Skoda brands. White Dove Suzuki has invested over £1,000,000 in their new four-acre premises at Hadfield Road - Bessemer Close, Cardiff, Leckwith, created ten jobs in their seven-car showroom, on their used cars’ … [Read more...]
Breaking news: Welsh dealers get green light to reopen
Welsh car dealerships can re-open for business after the weekend. First Minister Mark Drakeford will this morning announce non-essential retail businesses in Wales will be able to open from monday if they can take all reasonable measures to comply with the 2 metre physical distancing duty in Welsh law. The change is at the heart of a comprehensive package of measures to further unlock the … [Read more...]
Bentley cut jobs and JLR get massive Chinese loan
Bentley is cutting about 1,000 jobs, a quarter of its workforce at Crewe, due to a fall in sales for the 101 year old company. It had increased sales last year by 5% to 11,000 models but the pandemic fallout hit them hard and now it’s preparing to offer voluntary redundancy to many before making redundancies. Jaguar Land Rover has entered into agreements with lenders in China for a secured term … [Read more...]
Aston Martin St Athan plant importance grows
Aston Martin Lagonda’s Welsh plant will play an increasingly important part in the company’s “reset plan” to boost sales around the world. The luxury car maker has seen a steep collapse in its sports cars sales and introduced new management as it prepares to roll out production of its DBX SUV at St Athan in coming weeks. Today it announced 500 job cuts across the business, but mostly at Gaydon … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: On the road & in the news 30 May
Although the lockdown measures are easing it will take time for the wheels of society to return to something like normal life, writes David Miles. But from tomorrow, after the bank holiday week, English schools for certain age groups will open where they can and more employees should be returning to work and that includes the motoring industry. So hopefully it won’t be too long before we get back … [Read more...]