News - Page 2258

LEASING and fleet management specialist BCH Group has announced a 30% increase in pre-tax profits to £1.93 million (1997: £1.49 million) for the first six months of the year. This was achieved on a 27% increase in turnover to £31.9 million (£25.2 million), as BCH Vehicle Management's fleet size grew to 15,234 vehicles, 12,263 of them on contract hire.

CAR retail and contract hire group Ryland has built on last year's record results with growth in profits for the half-year to June. Pre-tax profits grew to £3 million (1997: £2.8 million) on turnover of £302.16 million (1997: £240.22 million).

VOLVO has increased the prices of its S/V40 SE models after modifications to its specification line-up. The top-of-the-range CD variant has been scrapped throughout the entire Volvo range, with the SE becoming the top spec car and taking on CD-level equipment.

MINISTERS are attempting to rescue transport white paper initiatives amid rumours that the document's proposals will be left out of legislation scheduled for the next Parliamentary session. Fear of annoying car users is believed to worry Tony Blair, and questions have been raised over whether the Prime Minister will block a transport bill for the next Parliament.

CAR wholelife costs are being pushed up by vehicle manufacturers using space-saver spare tyres to cut down space and weight. Space-savers or 'skinny' spares were once only found in exotic sports cars, but are now supplied in some mainstream models from volume manufacturers.

DEALER group Evans Halshaw is predicting tough trading on the forecourts for the rest of the year after unveiling half-year pre-tax profits of £8.1 million, just £12,000 more than the same period last year. In the six months to June 30, turnover dropped 9% to £410 million from 1997's £449 million, but business was helped by buoyant new car sales, increasing 14% from 10,800 to 12,300.

THE Department of Environment, Transport and Regions is investigating the creation of emission-free zones in towns and cities as a key measure to tackle urban pollution. These zones will only be accessible to ultra-low emission vehicles, such as those powered by gas or electricity, revealed Paul O'Sullivan, DETR environment division officer at last week's 'Greening the Fleet' conference in London.

HONDA is poised to introduce a three-year/90,000-mile package on the new Accord range when it reaches the showrooms next month. This improved warranty will gradually replace the existing two-year unlimited mileage guarantee as other new products are introduced.

A NATIONAL firm which has saved thousands of pounds in accident costs through driver training is throwing its weight behind Lancashire County Council's efforts to encourage more companies to make their drivers safer behind the wheel. Morecambe-based Cannon Hygiene introduced a number of safety programmes for its 500 company vehicle drivers, 90% of whom are female, four years ago.

BMW has enhanced the specification for 1999 model year 3- and 5-series cars, without any commensurate increase in cost. All four-cylinder 3-series Compact, coupe, convertible and Touring models gain colour-coded lower bodywork, while the coupe and convertibles also receive air conditioning and an M Sport steering wheel as standard.

LEX Vehicle Leasing has launched a new telephone operation dedicated to providing small fleets with a vehicle acquisition and management service. Lex Direct provides cars and vans on contract hire or contract purchase to small businesses, and can also offer a range of nearly-new cars and vans on contract hire.

COMPANY car drivers are fiercely opposed to any increase in benefit-in-kind taxation, according to the UK's biggest survey of fleet drivers. Lease Plan questioned 950 company car drivers and found 93% were hostile to higher company car tax, while only 2% described the Government's transport policy as good.

TAILGATING annoys company car drivers more than any other form of behaviour on UK roads. This is closely followed by queue-jumping and aggressive driving, as factors guaranteed to rile company car drivers, along with hogging the fast lane.

WESTMINSTER City Council has started to fine motorists for high vehicle emission levels and is encouraging other local authorities to follow suit. In an attempt to slash emissions the authority has embarked on a number of projects to clean-up its own fleet and to make sure other fleets improve their 'green' credentials.

ALTERNATIVE fuels are not the only way for fleets to go 'green' according to a key figure in one of the UK's most environmentally-friendly councils. Councillor Catherine Longworth, chairman of Westminster City Council's environment sub committee, said driver training and regular maintenance of vehicles were immediate ways for fleets to improve their environmental performance, as well as reduce their running and insurance costs.

CITYPETROL is joining Citydiesel on a nationwide network of forecourts to provide a readily available alternative to alternative fuels. Andrew Owens, chairman of Greenergy, the company behind the two low-emission fuels, said the attraction of dramatically cutting emissions of particulates, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide by filling up with cleaner fuels, rather than incur the cost of conversions or new vehicles, will win widespread support among fleets.

THE decision of key manufacturers to start building gas-powered cars on the production line marks a clear advance for alternative fuels. With Vauxhall, Ford, Volvo, Skoda, Proton and Daihatsu all offering gas vehicles straight off the production lines, fleets can look to going for gas as replacement cycles are completed, according to Henry Clayton, Shell's MotorGas key accounts manager.

THE future is looking electric as far as fuel cells go, taking vehicles into a virtually emission-free 21st century. Brian Roden, director of the Electric Vehicles' Association, says fuel cells are becoming a commercially viable alternative to conventional fuels.

RADICAL changes to alternative fuels for the London Borough of Southwark's fleet only came about as a result of months of research and tests on several different options. The green-conscious council has now vowed to have its entire 300-strong fleet running on alternative fuels by the year 2000, and already has 68 vehicles running on liquefied petroleum gas.

GOVERNMENT fleets have failed to heed the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions' call to the country to adopt 'greener' motoring plans. These were outlined in the integrated transport white paper but most Government departments are neither running any alternatively-fuelled vehicles, nor have any plans to do so.

SECURICOR Vehicle Management has won the largest yet funding deal for alternatively-fuelled vehicles from Powershift, the Government-funded Energy Saving Trust initiative to promote the use of clean fuels. Securicor Vehicle Management, which is responsible for the operational management of Securicor's 10,000 British-based vehicles, has successfully requested grants to convert 170 vans to run on liquefied petroleum gas.

FLEET NewsNet's sister publication Fleet News has joined with road safety organisation Brake to raise risk management awareness among fleet managers and drivers. The alliance aims to establish a permanent Road Risk Forum as a centre of excellence for fleet risk management.

THE European Commission is challenging the 'pay and reclaim' system used by thousands of UK companies to reimburse drivers for business fuel expenditure. The focus of the EC's attack is the right of UK companies to recover VAT on fuel paid for by employees using their own cash, cheque or credit card, but used for business journeys.

THE RAC is calling for new laws to licence and regularly inspect daily rental companies in a bid to drive out cowboy operators. The motoring organisation wants to see new legislation in force following a recent investigation which revealed that three of the nine cars randomly hired from national and local rental companies and inspected by an RAC technician, would have failed a normal MoT test.

THE new Vauxhall Astra made a solid auction debut at a special sale for 250 franchised Vauxhall dealers and approved buyers at Alton Towers held by CMA.

AUTOLOGIC'S acquisition of vehicle distribution and logistics company Walon, has played a big part in its pre-tax profits rising by 35% to £5.7 million for the first six months of the year. The period to June saw AutoLogic's turnover grow by 32% to £54.1 million (1997: £40.9 million).

QUICKS Group, the vehicle retailer and parts distributor, has recorded record interim profits for the six months to June 30. Pre-tax profits have rocketed 60% to £5 million (£3.1 million 1997), and turnover has almost doubled compared to same period last year, reaching £332.4 million (£175.9 million 1997).

THE shareholders of Auto Windscreens' parent Heywood Williams have voted in favour of the £97.8 million sale of the glass specialist to HSBC Private Equity and its co-investors. This latest twist in Auto Windscreens' 27-year history transforms it from a public to private concern, but sees the senior management team remain in charge.

CABLE & Wireless has outsourced its 2,500-strong van fleet to Arriva Automotive Solutions in a solus deal worth £7.2 million per year. Arriva will take over the management of the Ford Transit and Courier fleet with immediate effect, providing full driver support, and will supply all new vehicles on a contract hire basis.

FAST-CYCLE fleets are to be the prime target of a key new service designed to keep vehicles on the road. Network Group, the management services company, has launched Key Issues to provide a master key replacement service which the company claims will outperform manufacturers both on price and speed of response.