News - Page 2328

CORPORATE travel consultant Britannic Travel has taken delivery of 18 Volkswagen Golf L diesels and has a further three cars from the manufacturer on order.

TAX dodgers are targeted by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency with the introduction of a new two-part vehicle registration document.

RESEARCH analysts at MarketLine believe tax rises will have little effect on the UK's company car parc.

EUROPEAN Motor Holdings' pre-tax profits jumped by almost a third to £8.8 million (£6.7 million) as the retail car market showed signs of recovery.

COMMUNICATIONS company Vodafone has contracted PHH to supply fuel and maintenance and repair management to its 770-vehicle fleet.

FLEETLEASE managing director Rob Whalley has written to Chancellor Gordon Brown urging him not to penalise company car drivers. As the fleet market braces itself for the Government to target the company car, Whalley has called for the Chancellor to adopt a 'hands-off' the company car approach in the Budget.

THE Community Transport Association has won its battle to widen the range of charities eligible to buy minibuses without paying VAT.

GERMAN-owned pharmaceutical and laboratory supplies company Merck has opted for contract hire following the signing of a £3.5 million sale and leaseback agreement on its 354-strong fleet. The solus three-year contract was won by Automotive Leasing after a 10-month evaluation.

THE price war between supermarkets and major petrol retailers took another turn this week when the Office of Fair Trading announced an inquiry into alleged predatory pricing. Although the battles have abated, many smaller retailers feel the effects of ultra-keen pricing, with another 1,500 independent sites forecast to close during 1997.

CAR Fleet Control is to provide a fleet management system for a leading UK computer services company's prestige fleet.

ROVER has cut £600 from the price of its 100 range models to improve sales. The move follows retail-targeted price cuts of up to £1,300 on some 200 and 400 models and reduced prices and increased spec on the 600 and 800 ranges.

THE roads programme faces cuts after the Government confirmed that its wholesale review will be based on an integrated transport policy. Transport Minister Gavin Strang promised early decisions on 12 schemes, including the Birmingham northern relief road, Salisbury bypass and A40 West London approach following closer scrutiny. Although cuts are likely, Labour will examine the need to manage traffic growth and invest in viable alternative modes of transport.

A NEW diesel-powered SEAT will be Britain's most economical car when it goes on sale in August. Fuel tests show the Ibiza TDI - the only supermini with an electronically-managed, intercooled and turbocharged motor - boasts an extra urban consumption figure of 70.6mpg under the latest test procedure.

KWIK-Fit chairman and chief executive Tom Farmer received a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to the automotive industry.

PRODUCTION of right hand drive versions of SEAT's Arosa supermini has been delayed by two months after teething trouble at the German factory.

THE National Society for Clean Air has joined forces with Tesco to launch a new cleaner vehicle fuels initiative. The initiative, which brings together business, industry, government, academia, consumer and environmental organisations, will examine the contribution cleaner fuels can make to reduce air pollution. The group met for the first time on Thursday and its first report will be published later this year.

TEAMS from across the fleet industry have signed up to take part in the RAC and Fleet News five-a-side football tournament in aid of Motability. So far 129 application forms have been sent out and 37 teams have entered the RAC-Fleet News Five-a-Side Charity Challenge - launched at the Fleet Motor Show with the aim of raising £4,000 for Motability.

ALEX Sard has resigned from HSS Hire Service Group after 17 years with the company, five as fleet manager.

NEW wholelife cost comparison tables from TopCalc on which Volkswagen bases its wholelife cost guarantee scheme reveals there is no manufacturer support for the recently launched Passat.

DIAL Contracts has won its most challenging fleet management contract to date - the maintenance management of the 2,250-strong operational fleet of The Environment Agency.

A RECORD number of fleet industry companies will be competing in the 1997 Fleet News Regatta to be staged over three days on the Solent next month. The final touches are now being put in place for the Regatta, now in its fifth year and based at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

THE new Toyota Corolla goes on sale in the UK on Monday (June 23) with the manufacturer claiming it to be one of the most important car launches in its history. The car goes on sale with Toyota smashing every one of its sales records, set last year. Fleet sales in the first five months of 1997 are 27.8% up year-on-year at 12,400 units (1996: 9,702) with the company particularly targeting solus and limited badge fleets and user-choosers.

A RECORD waiting list for new BMW cars has prompted the second plea for extra British-market supplies in six months. The urgent call went out from BMW (GB) after some corporate customers were found to be waiting up to next February to take delivery of latest 5 series models, it was revealed this week.

DAILY rental giant EuroDollar has doubled its profits for the year to March 31, 1997, despite higher vehicle holding costs. The company grew its operating profit by 32.6%, to £17 million from £12.9 million for the same period in 1996, on a turnover up 11.6% to £107.4 million (1996: £96.2 million).

PAPERLESS trading via the internet looks set to be a reality for the fleet industry within the next few years, according to major players. A consortium of leasing companies, including Dial Contracts, Cowie Interleasing and BCH Vehicle Management Services, have signed up to the new Fleet Web service from Smart Choice which offers Internet-based electronic transactions.

THE Government's commitment to an integrated public transport system is backed by fleet chiefs, according to a new survey by PHH Vehicle Management Services.

THE report says the two areas of distortion in the current system arise from reductions for higher business mileage and the flat rate charge on free fuel. In addition, it says, stronger signals are required to encourage more efficient company cars.

THE biggest contract hire deal of the 1990s is in turmoil after National Health Service transport managers branded it too restrictive, and threatened to overrule it. As a result NHS Supplies has promised a review of the leasing deal it negotiated earlier this year for the supply of the NHS's 33,000 strong fleet.

CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown has been issued with a 'hands-off the company car' warning in the run-up to his July 2 Budget.

AUTOMOTIVE Leasing has been awarded a contract to supply 30 Citroen Saxos to the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust's Community Midwives Team.