Our advice on fleet tyre disposal
FOLLOWING on from the article ‘Tyre diposal rule changes inflate costs’ (Fleet NewsNet, March 9), tyres are difficult and sometimes costly to dispose of lawfully.
The National Tyre Distributors Association reported illegal tyre dumping as a growing problem across the UK in 2004. In Buckinghamshire alone, 234 incidents of this kind were reported in the last 12 months.
Fleet managers have a duty of care regarding their wastes under the Environmental Protection Act and they must ensure that waste is transferred only to someone who is properly authorised. This will usually be someone who can prove that they are a registered waste carrier.
For householders, the duty ends there. Checks with the Environment Agency (EA) may be made online at www2.environmentagency.gov.uk/epr/ or by calling 08708 506506. Commercial waste producers must transfer a written description of the waste and keep a copy of all paperwork for two years.
All reasonable action must be taken to prevent illegal disposal, and to ensure that the waste cannot escape. Failure to comply can incur an unlimited fine at a crown court, or up to £5,000 at a magistrates’ court.
This legislation came into force in 1992, but has recently been extended to include householders. Local authorities’ investigation powers have been increased to investigate and prosecute offences as well as the EA.
In Buckinghamshire, the ‘Illegal Dumping Costs’ campaign was set up by the local authorities to help people avoid committing offences.
So far, 39 individuals and companies have been convicted for matters linked to fly-tipping and there has been a significant decrease in dumping.
Companies can also get advice on waste responsibilities on the Illegal Dumping Costs website www.bucksonline.gov.uk/illegaldumpingcosts/duty_of_care.htm
Further information and a checked list of registered waste tyre carriers is available from the Waste Partnership for Buckinghamshire by emailing illegal dumpingcosts@buckscc.gov.uk
DAVID ROUNDING
Waste enforcement officer, Waste Partnership for Buckinghamshire
Internet is the way to go for disposals
YOUR front page story ‘Auctions shrug off threat from internet’ (Fleet NewsNet, June 8) raises some important questions and indicates that many in our industry continue to live in the past. The assertion that internet auctions will never replace the traditional auction hall is demonstrably not the case, as we at Cars Direct have proved over the past 20 years.
Clearly, using eBay is one route to selling ex-leasing cars, but it does bring with it many challenges and potential problems.
And we believe that using a general consumer website auction process to dispose of vehicles is not the most efficient and effective for the re-marketing industry.
Although traditional fixed site auctions will still be around in the years to come, and in spite of the comments in your article they do use internet techniques within their selling process, we believe they will find it increasingly difficult to compete with a well organised and run internet site.
Cars Direct has been at the forefront of setting the standards for online auctions and today offers customers established processes for the efficient and profitable remarketing of vehicles. Using the internet and negating the need to visit and actually see the car at fixed site auctions is attracting an increasing number of customers. And why? Because time is precious in business, the internet is the fastest and most efficient route to market.
The remarketing industry cannot stand in the way of progress and as the internet has changed the face of new and used car sales to the consumer, so the worldwide web will continue to transform our industry and the marketplace, delivering a better, more consistent and ultimately more profitable return on ex-fleet vehicles.
The internet auction business has grown ten-fold in the last five years and this is set to accelerate even faster in the future.
ROGER WOODWARD
Managing director, Cars Direct Group
Take heed of fuel card warning
WE have a small fleet of 10 cars and three commercial vehicles. We have been using a fuel card provider for many years, but they outsourced to another company in 2003.
We have now discovered that the entries on the invoices are higher in value than the values shown on the receipts that our drivers pick up from the filling stations. We computed the overcharge to be £2,400 over two years. The company was very reluctant to admit to its error and we had to involve our solicitors to get a refund.
We do not think that we are the only company affected and it may be a good idea to warn readers.
NARINDER S SAHOTA
Accountant, Hill Shorter
Ladyman’s words no comfort
DR STEPHEN Ladyman’s comments about roadworks (‘End to pointless delays promised’, Fleet NewsNet, June 8) don’t fill me with confidence.
The need to strike a better balance between maintenance and traffic flow conjures up images of us rattling over car-breaking potholes, rejoicing in the fact there isn’t a road-mending crew to be seen for miles.
REG WATSON Darinda Co
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