The arrival of the October half term will spark an ‘autumn rush’ on the roads with drivers taking an estimated 19.4m separate leisure trips between Friday and Sunday, according to RAC Breakdown.The survey of 1,400 drivers suggests that Saturday will be the most popular day on the roads with drivers planning an estimated 5.6m ‘getaway’ journeys, followed by Sunday (4.6m) and Friday (4.3m) with … [Read more...]
Apprentices programme relaunched by car makers
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Charitable Trust Fund has re-launched the SMMT Apprentice Support Programme, designed to help safeguard the jobs of apprentices currently working within the automotive industry.The scheme comes following the conclusion of the government-funded furlough scheme.The SMMT Apprentice Support Programme earmarks £100,000 to cover all or part of the … [Read more...]
Tradelines 20 October
There was no substantial jump in the number of fleet MOT tests undertaken during September, despite warnings that deferrals made during the pandemic could lead to massive demand, new figures from epyx show.Using an analysis of information held on its 1link Service Network platform, the company says that there were almost 52,000 MOT tests carried out during the month. This is close to the just … [Read more...]
Suppliers face new opportunities in car sector
Britain’s car-makers and component suppliers face opportunities as the race speeds up towards a future of pure electric vehicles, delegates to the annual Autolink Conference in Cardiff were told yesterday.On the day that the UK Government announced a £620 Million grant to boost ev-sales, extend the national recharging network on-street and in homes, as well as introduce a compulsory mandate … [Read more...]
Look Once, Look Twice, Think Bike, say Gwent police
By distance travelled, motorcyclists have the highest rate of death or serious injury of all road users.Gwent Police is launching a campaign emphasising the need for car drivers to take a second look for motorcycles, and for bikers to take personal responsibility for riding safely.The campaign is reminding drivers that under the crash helmet is a real person with a job, commitments, … [Read more...]
Young applying brakes to driving
Passing your driving test was once seen as a rite of passage for most youngsters, but times are changing.The number of young people getting behind the wheel now declining, research conducted by the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has indicated why many young people aged 17-24 have put the brakes on learning to drive.Of 1,000 young drivers … [Read more...]
£230M investment saves Ford Halewood jobs
Ford Halwood plant will get a £230M investment to produce electric powertrain components in two years for the company's European EV fleet.An undisclosed amount of that has come from the UK Government and it will safeguard about 500 jobs on Merseyside which have been under threat as the industry moves from internal combustion engined cars and vans to pure electric models by 2030.Ford has … [Read more...]
Motor industry lies at heart of world trade
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has called on government to put the automotive sector at the heart of future trade negotiations, after a new report confirms vehicles are the UK’s single most valuable goods trade export.Vehicle export revenues reached £27 billion in 2020, making them more valuable to the UK than power-generating machinery and gold, even during a year when … [Read more...]
GoCompare say motoring costs are falling for new drivers
The overall cost of getting on the road has dropped from £6,846 in 2019 to £5,703 in 2021.A new report out today from GoCompare Car Insurance has revealed that the cost of getting a young driver on the road has fallen to a three-year low of £5,703, down from £6,071.00 in 2020 and £6,846 in 2019, representing a 20% fall over three years.The combined cost of a new motorist learning to drive, … [Read more...]
Driver shortages are just tip of logistics issues
Some 96% of UK logistics businesses are now reporting problems recruiting HGV drivers, according to results from Logistics UK’s September 2021 Performance Tracker.However, the Performance Tracker also highlighted that skills shortages are growing across the entire logistics industry, not just affecting the availability of HGV drivers.More than 13% of businesses are now reporting severe to … [Read more...]
