Welsh Government will nationalise local rail services after a disastrous collapse in passenger numbers due to the coronavirus restrictions. After awarding the Wales and Borders rail franchise to Keolis and Amey two years ago the services have struggled and are now uneconomic and without Welsh Government intervention they would have collapsed. The take over will become effective … [Read more...]
Potential potholes for planning ahead
The impact of the coronavirus crisis and potential effects of Brexit are making planning beyond the short term almost impossible in the remarketing sector. So reports the Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA), which points out that the currently booming market is arguably obscuring the potential dangers that lie ahead. Chair Sam Watkins said, “As has been widely reported, the sector is very, … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: Welsh engine line moving to Midlands
Jaguar Land Rover is moving its petrol V8 engine line from the Ford Bridgend Engine Plant to its in-house power centre at Wolverhampton. Workers at the South Wales engine plant, which will close next month, have been building buffer stocks of the V8 engines to continue supplies to the luxury car maker until it can resume production in the West Midlands. Ford Bridgend has been building the Jaguar … [Read more...]
A plan for saving automotive jobs in Wales
Welsh Government and councils must prioritise supporting Tata Steel Port Talbot and Toyota Deeside, according to a far reaching report prepared for the Welsh Automotive Forum. The report by Ian Henry, head of Autoanalysis, follows similar studies he has carried out for WAF in recent years but his final conclusions have been published against a background of a global economic … [Read more...]
Newslines 17 August
The Mtsubishi Outlander PHEV is still out-selling every other plug-in hybrid SUV on the market so far in 2020 and second only to a recently-launched premium brand saloon. Despite the massive disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a more competitive plug-in hybrid market than ever before, 2,662 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs were registered in 2020 to the end of the July, reinforcing this … [Read more...]
Behind the Wheel: Driving towards a cliff
Tens of thousands of more jobs are likely to disappear from the UK automotive sector before the end of the year, writes Robin Roberts. Some 11,349 jobs so far axed following lockdown will grow and despite this week’s 11% rise in new car registrations the outlook is bleak. That’s because the first upturn in showroom sales came at the end of three months when all showrooms were in … [Read more...]
Motor industry disappointed with summer statement
Announcements to safeguard jobs and encourage consumer spending in some parts of the economy are welcome but it’s bitterly disappointing the Chancellor has stopped short of supporting the restart of one of the UK’s most important employers and a driver of growth, said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. "The automotive sector has been particularly hard hit, with thousands of job losses already … [Read more...]
Your job comes at a premium for insurers
Vanarama has analysed the UK's 100 most common job titles to reveal which occupations are considered most high risk by car insurance companies therefore charged the most for premiums and there are some surprising findings. To do this, they entered the average UK’s drivers details into the UK's largest car comparison website 100 times, changing only the job role each time. This showed which … [Read more...]
Garages welcome furlough proposals
The Chancellor’s update and extension to the furlough scheme allowing businesses to bring staff back to work on a part-time basis is very welcome. said Stuart James, Chief Executive of the Independent Garage Association. The IGA wrote to Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak on 29 April, requesting a partial furlough scheme that would allow employees to return to work part-time to support … [Read more...]
Garages call for continuing support after lockdown
The Independent Garage Association has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, requesting an enhancement to the furlough scheme so that employees can partially return to work as the country prepares for the next phase of lockdown restrictions. Stuart James, IGA Chief Executive said, “As businesses ready themselves for the next stage of lockdown, we are asking the Chancellor for … [Read more...]
