News - Page 2331

KIA is to embark on a major sales drive - including a fleet sales push - designed to boost volumes and profitability in the face of continuing speculation over the future of Mazda in the UK. The Kia initiative will see the introduction of a mainstream upper medium model and massive investment in the dealer network in a bid to double its market share by the turn of the century.

THE Government has signalled its determination to cut levels of car usage with minister of state for transport Glenda Jackson launching a new campaign called 'Don't Choke Britain '97'. The campaign, backed by more than 400 organisations across the country, aims to highlight the damaging effects of traffic congestion and pollution, and urges motorists to use their cars less often. It runs throughout June.

SHORT Message System technology could provide a solution to the safety dilemma posed by in-car mobile phone use, according to Car Fleet Control. The company has incorporated SMS - which enables text messages to be sent to drivers through pagers or digital mobile phones - in its latest fleet management software product Fleetbase 3.0, which was launched last month.

FLEET managers have a moral, legal and economic duty to protect employees while at work - including while on the road, according to BSM Fleet Training head of safety and loss management Allen Bewley. He said the UK's accident statistics - with 10 people killed and 900 people injured on the roads each day - would be deemed unacceptable in any other area of industrial safety, yet such statistics were viewed as an almost inevitable risk for road users.

POLICE-style analysis of accident and car crime statistics could be a key to successful risk management, a senior police officer has told fleet managers. Strathclyde Police has used accident analysis and improved driver training to reduce the number of incidents in which the police driver lost control of the vehicle from 75 in 1991 to 30 in 1996.

COMPANY car drivers who use mobile telephones while driving are to be targeted in a new Government safety campaign. Immediate backing for the campaign came from Fleet Cost Management, where John Britcliffe, executive director of sales, said fleet operators had a duty to take action against employees using car phones while driving, regardless of whether legislation arrives.

VAUXHALL is to develop its own branded version of AT&T's TransLease, the computerised authorisation and invoice system designed to create a trading community between leasing companies, fast fits, dealers and fleet managers. And speculation is rising that other major manufacturers are set to sign up with TransLease to help slash levels of paperwork and bureaucracy between leasing companies and dealerships.

CONTRACT hire and rental company TLS has been awarded a solus three-year vehicle management contract, worth an estimated £10 to £12 million, by construction company McNicholas. The contract is expected to involve the management of more than 750 vehicles by the end of 1999 and has helped TLS's fleet top the 10,000 vehicle mark.

SPECIALIST van-maker LDV increased sales by 17% during another year of solid growth. However, the additional costs of launching the new Pilot and Convoy ranges saw operating profits dip by £1 million to £20.5 million against a background of increasing revenue and the Birmingham-based manufacturer is already developing new products for the millennium.

ROVER'S commitment to the corporate sector has been confirmed at the highest level. Dr Walter Hasselkus, chairman and chief executive of Rover Group, pledged the company's future involvement in fleet at this week's launch of Rover Corporate Finance.

VOLKSWAGEN has signed a semi-solus deal with Sun Life Assurance Society which previously operated a free choice policy across its 550-strong fleet. Many of the new cars are expected to be the recently launched Passat which independent wholelife cost figures from TopCalc and residual value figures from CAP Monitor reveal to be significantly ahead of Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Vectra values over three years/60,000 miles.

AUDI Business Sales is holding a series of presentations on the new Audi A6 for key customers around the country. Its team is giving more than 100 presentations to leasing companies during May and June as part of a campaign to build on the success of the car's launch to the industry in Sardinia in March and its UK public debut at the Fleet Motor Show a month ago.

ACCIDENT management company AutoManagement is calling for an industry standard to be set, allowing potential accident repair bills to be included in wholelife cost calculations. The idea has been branded unrealistic and impractical by some industry experts, but the Peterborough-based company says such a standard would fill a 'black hole' in fleet sums and suggests that by using a 'model accident' as a base, potential parts and labour costs could be calculated for a typical smash.

ROVER has revealed a string of enhancements to its 400 series designed to improve wholelife costs and driver desirability. The manufacturer's initiatives include new derivatives, more aggressive pricing with 2.0-litre availability at 1.6-litre prices and four and five-door model price parity.

APATHY among companies which are not taking action to control fleet operating costs has been slammed by the chairman of the Association of Car Fleet Operators. In a scathing attack on company bosses and some fleet managers, Tony Leigh told ACFO's annual meeting and conference: 'Many companies have no idea how much they invest in cars or the value of their fleets.'

TOUGH new rules should be introduced to ensure written off vehicles - including fleet vehicles - are crushed and never come back on to the UK's roads, say police.

TOMORROW'S fuel card could be a corporate charge card given to all employees - including company car drivers - to which all motoring expenses, business travel and hotel bills could be charged, according to PHH.

A MAJOR recruitment drive is to take off this year as the Association of Car Fleet Operators bids to have 2000 members by the turn of the century. The drive will be one of the major functions of the new membership secretariat which has been selected following a tender process begun when Jim Thorn retired as national secretary after a career change.

BIZARRE tales of animals - dead and alive - turning up in company cars are among the grumbles of fleet managers contacted by Norwich Union. The insurance company asked fleet bosses to recount their worst experiences of company car drivers failing to look after their vehicles.

A NEW driver training venture has opened for fleet operators wanting to send their drivers on a course of defensive driver training at a venue north of the border. The new facility - at Knockhill Circuit north of Edinburgh - is Scotland's only skid-pan centre and was opened by Scottish Touring Car star John Clelland.

A COMPETITION has been held to find the best company car driver in central Scotland. The event, hosted by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, Lex Vauxhall and the Institute of Advanced Motorists, was won by Glasgow insurance broker Stephen Taylor, proprietor of HD Mortgage & Insurance Services.

THE Accident Management Company has launched an extended credit scheme for customers involved in non-fault accidents. Under the new service - titled the Non-Fault Extended Credit Scheme - vehicle repair and alternative transport costs will be borne by the Accident Management Company on behalf of its customers until they can be recovered from the third party insurer.

PARAGON Vehicle Contracts has appointed Richard Koster as its new managing director, replacing Gordon Atkinson who is pursuing other business interests. Koster was formerly marketing director of Lex Vehicle Leasing, where he was also responsible for strategic planning and pricing.

NISSAN is to introduce a new entry level version of the Terrano 4x4 with an extremely attractive pricetag. The X-treme will be available for £15,995 on the road - undercutting the current base model by £1,000.

VOLVO is offering free optional extras to fleet managers ordering their August R-registered cars before the end of June. Not only will they benefit from prices fixed at the time of order, but also special extras packages on the S and V40 worth up to £1,500 per car.

DRIVER training works but there is major concern that the level of investment by fleets is not matched by an accurate reporting and monitoring system. Those are the two main conclusions from a 20-page Association of Car Fleet Operators driver training study, sponsored by BMW, Kwik-Fit Fleet and Nissan.

THE Institute of Advanced Motorists has called for the new Government to introduce nationwide Driver Improvement Schemes in place of penalty points for drivers involved in some minor traffic offences. The call comes following suggestions that compulsory driver training should be introduced for all company car drivers in Britain and IAM chief examiner Bryan Lunn said both issues formed part of a wider need to educate all drivers, particularly those who cover high mileages.

SAAB GB has recalled 21,500 of its 900 models to replace a small component in the accelerator system. The Swedish manufacturer says around 10 cars in the US have suffered from their throttles sticking after minor corrosion in the housing, although no accidents or injury resulted.

JEEP is recalling 19,000 Cherokee 4x4s after discovering a potential weak point in the steering mechanism. All right hand drive vehicles sold in the UK between January 1993 until the last of the 1996 model year vehicles are affected, although Grand Cherokee and 1997 specification Cherokees are not involved.

FIRST Mutual Contracts has clinched a lucrative outsourcing deal with shoe-makers Clarks. FMC will supply a broad mix of vehicles for Clarks' 328-vehicle fleet and has established a dedicated telephone hotline to handle driver enquiries.