Cardiff Council raked in nearly £1.49M in parking fines last year, despite the lockdown. Almost 50,000 fines were issued and the most were around Windsor Place, Cardiff, but the London Borough of Newham realised over £10.62M from 239,000 drivers, said comparethemarket.com . British digger maker JCB has unveiled a new machine to tackle a national scourge - potholes. The company has launched the … [Read more...]
Retail News
Welsh premiums dip 10% for motorists
There’s good news for drivers in Wales - the average cost of car insurance has fallen by £68 about 10% year-on-year, according to Confused.com . That's due to the typical driver cutting miles by around 2,000 due to the lockdowns, reduced working and insurers recognising fewer claims coming in so costs have been slashed. Drivers in the region can now expect to pay an average of £644 for … [Read more...]
Newslines 15 January
Bus and train services through Wales have been reduced. The effects of Covid-19 on staffing and a decline in passenger numbers have combined to hit them while more users have also resorted to private transport to make journeys, and people have been urged to check service details before travelling. Ford UK prices have risen and now reflect increases following the exit from the EU and the end of … [Read more...]
Welsh World Cup Rally Hero dies
Washington Grant James 1933 – 2020 Washington James, the last surviving member of a historic and tenacious 1970s Welsh rally team, died peacefully on New Year's Eve in Newcastle Emlyn aged 87. Washington - affectionately known as 'Washy' - from Cenarth in Cardiganshire, was joined on the 1970 World Cup Rally by two friends, renown Cooper S road-rally star Alun Rees from Carmarthen, and … [Read more...]
Carshop Cardiff click & collect is Covid challenger
As First Minister, Mark Drakeford, warned that there is “not much headroom for change” around Wales’ Tier 4 lockdown restrictions many were panicking, but a few local businesses are feeling much calmer this time around. One is CarShop Cardiff, a used car store located on Penarth Road which has been operating for 15 years and reported positive annual sales figures despite the uncertainty … [Read more...]
Tradelines 13 January
From March 2021 production, all Citroën Grand C4 SpaceTourer PureTech 3-cylinder petrol automatic variants have CO2 emissions reduced by 3g/km. Efficiency gains lead to reduced road tax (VED) charges resulting in an overall on the road price reduction of £285, qualifying models will benefit from a new high-efficiency alternator and an enhanced battery and Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) taxation bands see … [Read more...]
Buyers urged to question finance and commission rates
One third (34%) of British consumers expect car dealers to earn commission on vehicles bought on finance, and a further 28% don’t mind so long as they’re informed, according to new research from Close Brothers Motor Finance. This news comes as the FCA introduces new regulation for the motor finance industry, which comes into force on 28 January. The changes include banning pricing models which … [Read more...]
Motorcycle sales see staggering return end of 2020
A decline of -2.6% in the motorcycle market in a year like 2020 when we faced so many challenges is hugely positive as dealers’ performance exceeded all expectations, said Paddy O’Connell, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association, commenting on the latest MCIA’s figures. Despite the multiple challenges that faced businesses in 2020, the motorcycle market ended 2020 with a … [Read more...]
Rare and rarer & ready to be picked up for peanuts
There are some of Britain’s true automotive gems. And we don’t mean the obvious one-offs and models that were launched so long ago there are only one or two left. Where’s the fun in that? CarleaseSpecialOffers said you might think Ferrari owners enjoy exclusivity, but you’d be wrong. Sort of. Even the Ferrari 812 Superfast – a 6.5-litre, 789bhp grand tourer – isn’t as rare as the Fiat … [Read more...]
Driving in Europe post-Brexit
Britain's departure from the EU has prompted a flurry of information and advice from the Department for Transport, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the DVLA on rule changes affecting Britons driving in Europe from this month, writes Dave Moss. Here we round up some important changes affecting British drivers and vehicles intending to use European roads in coming months, with links to … [Read more...]