News - Page 1757

PROJECT management group Atkins has extended its contract with Avis Rent a Car for a third consecutive year.

THE Somerset-based branch of the Red Cross has taken delivery of two Nissan Patrols to use in emergencies at local events.

THE Fleet Safety Forum’s annual conference will take place on Thursday, June 23 at The University of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

MOTORCYCLISTS who ride for work purposes feel at risk on Britain’s roads, with congestion posing the biggest threat to safety, a major study of hundreds of riders has found.

EXPRESS Newspapers has launched a new motoring scheme for its employees.

GERMAN motoring organisation ADAC has gone for British after choosing MG cars for its driver training centre.

IF UK domestic law is amended following the recent ruling on the Sixth VAT Directive, fleets will be unable to recoup the VAT on business fuel without adopting a fuel purchasing system, based on a fuel card or corporate credit card.

THE European Court of Justice ruling on VAT fuel reimbursement payments will not impact significantly on car ownership schemes, despite the widespread industry concern that the proposed ECJ changes will cost British fleets £1.2billion, Adam Trevaskus, head of Whitechapel has claimed.

AFTER almost half a decade of serving cups of tea and all-day breakfasts to company car drivers, the Little Chef has announced plans to sell a number of its outlets.

OPERATING the largest hybrid fleet in the country has won HM Customs and Excise (HMCE) the latest Fleet News Environmental Star Award, sponsored by BP.

LAUNCH dates for key fleet models.

THE new GRS website was launched this month with a host of new features aimed at used car and light commercial vehicle dealers.

THE latest appointments in the fleet industry.

VOLKSWAGEN Commercial Vehicles has launched a range of fixed cost maintenance packages for sole traders, small firms and fleets.

JEEP’S four-wheel drive commercial vehicle, the Cherokee Pioneer, has been given a new engine to improve towing and load carrying ability.

FLEETS ordering a Vauxhall Movano with the 2.5-litre CDTi common rail diesel engine can get the option of a new six-speed clutchless Tecshift transmission.

LOMBARD is launching a new van sales unit, providing customers with a one-stop shop for all areas of van sourcing, financing and customisation.

THOUSANDS of van drivers don’t know the difference between an insurance broker and an insurance company – and it could be costing them hundreds of pounds, according to Quoteline Direct.

SOME manufacturers take forever and a day to launch a new van, but Citroen seems to crank them out with almost regular monotony.

BCA’s UK Business Development Manager - Commercial Vehicles, Duncan Ward reports from the auction halls at BCA

Used market round-up by John Charles

BUYERS converged on BCA Belle Vue, Manchester for a special Saturday sale of HGVs and LCVs entered by the Royal Mail.

By Alex Wright, Commercial vehicle sales director, Manheim Auctions

AFTER a gestation period that would make an elephant look like Speedy Gonzales, the long-awaited replacement for LDV’s aging Pilot and Convoy vans has finally been unveiled.

ALD Automotive LCV national sales manager John McMinn outlines the big changes – and how to cope with them

AS the specification for modern passenger cars becomes ever more sophisticated, it is not unreasonable to expect some of that increased sophistication to find its way into the specification of the modern commercial vehicle.

THE CV Show is Britain’s largest event for commercial vehicle operators and takes place in 11 halls at the NEC in Birmingham from April 5 to 7.

FLEET Van has a new long-term test vehicle, in the shape of the Vauxhall Vivaro.

THE large panel van market is one of the most active sectors in the UK commercial vehicle business. In the last decade sales of 2.8-6.5 tonne vans have more than doubled, from 58,000 in 1994 to over 141,000 last year.

ROAD user charging could cut congestion significantly, but must not be just another tax on motorists, says the CBI.