FLEET operators are being urged to make certain their vehicles are covered for breakdowns abroad as the holiday season approaches.

THE BBC has launched a new structured employee car scheme for thousands of staff, whether or not they qualify for a company car.

VAUXHALL is about to begin a six-month police evaluation programme for the new Vectra to establish a foothold in the 'blue light' sector.

REPLACEMENT hire car company Helphire Group has signed up Bristol Street Rover as a supplier.

BMW is testing a new system designed to stop drivers from falling asleep behind the wheel of a car. The manufacturer has developed a 'driving alertness assistant' that can recognise how alert or tired the driver of a vehicle is.

VOLVO Cars of North America has hit a home run fleet deal with baseball team Boston Red Sox.

BURGER chain to car dealership group Gowrings is to concentrate on its food outlets by selling off its Ford dealership and body repair centre in Newbury.

THE European Commission has announced what it calls 'a bold but balanced' reform of the car distribution block exemption.

NEW rules announced today will, it is claimed, see greater price competition in the new car market across Europe and reduce dealers' commercial dependency on car manufacturers.

IN 1994 Fleet News ran a campaign to oppose the introduction of rumoured motorway road tolls and received almost unanimous backing from the industry.

WHAT do the traffic signs mean? The chances are 90% of your drivers don't know and it could lead them to cause an accident.

KEN Livingstone's plans to have motorists pay a toll to enter central London will cause an increase in air pollution, the High Court has heard.

A one day conference on the key issues surrounding effective transport solutions.

A MAJOR European survey of manufacturing plants across Europe has found that Renault boasts the biggest number of 'highly productive plants'.

TOYOTA is to begin 'limited marketing' of a fuel cell hybrid passenger vehicle model in Japan and the United States from the end of this year.

Toyota has also announced that it has developed a system called 'pre-crash safety' that it claims reduces collision injury by 'foreseeing unavoidable collisions to pre-emptively activate safety devices'.

MAZDA claims sales of the new Mazda6 are 'way ahead' of the targets it had set for Europe.

THE average carbon dioxide emissions from new cars registered in the European Union last year fell to 164g/km, from 169g/km the year before, as car manufacturers made further progress towards their voluntary commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions of their vehicles.

EUROPE'S biggest Fiat and Alfa Romeo service centre has opened in Dublin.

FORD of Europe has appointed Nick Caton as vice-president human resources. Caton will report to president and chief operating officer Martin Leach.

A NEW 'must attend' event organised by Fleet News to boost the expertise and the confidence of today's fleet decision maker.

MAZDA has announced prices and carbon dioxide emissions figures for diesel versions of the Mazda6 due in sale in September.

MERCEDES-Benz is taking its battle for fleet sales to the company car drivers' wallet with a new range of tax-efficient engines for the C-class.

DRIVERS of black cars are more likely to succumb to motoring mishaps on holiday than motorists in other coloured cars, according to a Trafficmaster survey.

EMPLOYEES are so eager to get the keys to their new company cars that they sacrifice their first choice car in favour of one that is immediately available.

COMPANY car drivers could be stopped and have their cars checked over by traffic wardens under new legislation that aims to free up police officers' time.

CONTRACT cleaning firm has downsized the company car chosen for its area managers to the Toyota Yaris, after trialling five vehicles over the last two years.

DUPONT has introduced an employee car ownership scheme for its 400 company car drivers.

IMAGISTICS International, formerly known as Pitney Bowes Office Systems, has ordered 65 new company cars through Arval PHH in a deal worth more than £600,000.

SUPPORT services group Staveley Industries has signed a year-long three-badge deal with Nissan, Ford and Vauxhall.