About 400 jobs are going at the MINI plant, Cowley, Oxford. The company said it’s halving its contracting force following a slump in demand for the models in the coronavirus lockdown. Learners have to contend with another collapse of the DVSA on-line driving test booking system. It failed within hours of being restarted after the lockdown and then again this week when it was restored after … [Read more...]
Repair costs still driving fleet manager decisions
Over 70% of fleet managers say the cost of vehicle repair influences the choice of vehicles in their fleet, according to new report ‘Fleet Managers, the pressures, challenges and opportunities.’ Being green is also a key factor with 56% making choices around the composition of their fleet based on protecting the environment. With more than 90% of motor accidents the result of human error the … [Read more...]
Drivers tell RAC they’re on the road again
RAC data confirms car use is rising despite the lockdown. Figures show a steady increase in breakdowns and average miles driven per day while more than a third of drivers say they are using their vehicles more for food shopping as well as trips to DIY stores Ahead of this weekend’s announcement on how the UK might begin to ease the current lockdown restrictions, an RAC study confirms drivers are … [Read more...]
Safety checks to laid up vehicles
Drivers will need guidance on returning laid-up company cars to the road when the coronavirus crisis ends, says Meridian Vehicle Solutions. Phil Jerome, managing director at the medium-term rental specialist, said that some vehicles may not turn a wheel for months, depending on the length of the lockdown, and would need to be quite carefully inspected in a risk management context. “Even if the … [Read more...]
Safety fears of majority drivers on ‘smart’ motorways
About 68% of drivers questioned by the RAC think removing the hard shoulder on the ever-increasing number of the country’s smart motorways compromises safety for those who breakdown in a live lane. To increase capacity on the country’s busiest roads over one hundred miles of hard shoulder have been converted by Highways England into running lanes for traffic, many removed permanently on ‘all lane … [Read more...]
Be aware & alert to winter dangers behind the wheel
With winter drawing in, the weather and darker nights put additional strains on drivers, particularly older and inexperienced motorists, so IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman, shares his tips which might save you from having an accident or worse.Older people can be more susceptible to fatigue so tiredness can prove a real problem. Extreme tiredness can … [Read more...]
Transport for Wails, say critics
South Wales Central AM, Andrew RT Davies, has blasted Transport for Wales after another day of chaos for commuters on the country’s rail network.Welsh media has reported services in South Wales and North Wales have been hit by a series of cancellations and passengers are complaining across several areas about a lack of coaches and trains not running on time on monday.Commenting on the … [Read more...]
Ignorance is a miss, says Green Flag
Ahead of Car Care Week, from the 30 September - 6 October, breakdown cover provider Green Flag has uncovered how many UK drivers are failing to perform basic vehicle maintenance, and how much our motors are costing us to repair as a result. Car Care Week aims to educate motorists on the benefits of regular vehicle inspection, maintenance, and repair, so Green Flag has also released basic car … [Read more...]
RAC meeting modern motoring needs
With around 16.5 million car journeys by 5-million motorists estimated to have been made during the last UK Bank Holiday weekend in August, there were queues stretching up to 24 miles on the busy M5/M4 motorway interchange at Bristol, writes David Miles.Ironically, that's just a stone’s throw away from the iconic RAC offices tower at Almonsbury Interchange.With 11 million members the RAC … [Read more...]
Newslines 30 August
As families head home from holiday over the weekend and back to school and work, Green Flag is predicting around 73,398 breakdowns and 132,644 calls on UK roads between Friday 30th August and Monday 2nd September or to 13 breakdowns per minute over the course of the weekend. Lucy Davies at Green Flag said, “As many people head back home after a long holiday break between Friday and Sunday, the … [Read more...]
