THE first cracks in London's congestion charging scheme have started to appear as a Government minister backed the concept of an employer paying the congestion fee for its employees.

THE Fleet News Budget Briefing will be held on Tuesday, April 23 following the Chancellor's Budget on April 17.

MULTI-MARQUE car leasing company Alphabet has launched an 'off-the-shelf' employee car ownership plan (ECOP) that promises clients annual savings of up to £2,000 per car.

VAUXHALL has given the first indication of company car taxation on the new Vectra with the announcement of carbon dioxide emissions for the new model.

FLEETS will have a simple colour-coded guide to a car's environmental credentials thanks to a new labelling scheme unveiled by the Government.

DIRECTORS and senior managers at Ford driving to work or on business will be expected to use Ford cars and leave their Jaguars, Land Rovers and Volvos at home.

THE long-term future of MG Rover looks more secure this week after the manufacturer signed a partnership agreement with China's third largest vehicle manufacturer to develop future products and open more markets for each other's cars.

VELO customers have been promised cost savings following the appointment of Kwik-Fit as the contract hire company's preferred tyre supplier.

'THE recent Fleet News Awards were another great reminder of the real quality of today's new car market. But the car market moves faster than ever and while we were talking about new cars then the vehicles in question are already used cars now.' Martin Ward, CAP Network's national research manager.

THE UK is suffering the highest depreciation in Europe, according to new research.

A RECENT sale at BCA Measham achieved a 100% conversion rate for the 250 vehicles put on sale, with an average return of 103% CAP Clean.

SPORTS fans have a chance to bid for a piece of rugby memorabilia and raise some money for charity at BCA's next Classic & Historic sale, at BCA Bridgwater on April 8.

VOLVO is to launch a battle plan to encourage sales of high-mileage ex-fleet cars in a bid to bolster residual values for customers.

CITROEN has today confirmed it will be bringing six of its new small car, the C3, to Fleet News Drive.

Proton has redesigned its UK website two years after it was first introduced. It has also revised the microsites it launched last year for the Impian saloon and Satria GTi hot hatch to help browsers navigate their way to detailed information about these models.

FLEET decision-makers have just days left to get their applications in for grants of up to 75% towards the cost of acquiring or converting vehicles to run on 'green' fuels.

TAX consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers is advising companies to keep well-documented evidence that double-cab vehicles are used exclusively for work if they intend to recover VAT on the acquisition price of the vehicles.

ONE of the UK's major leasing brokers, Corporate & Business Vehicle Contracts, has installed fleet software from Chevin Computer Systems to improve customer service levels.

THE park ranger service of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has renewed a fleet supply contract with Vauxhall MasterHire worth £160,000.

HEALTHCARE consultancy Magister Consulting has awarded a contract to fund and manage its 90-vehicle fleet to Fleetlease.

SCA Recycling, the UK's largest recycled paper processor, has cut its accident rate in half and improved fuel consumption by investing in driver training through Lex Transfleet.

As John Cullum, president of ARVAL PHH, prepares to step down at the end of this month after 20 years with the firm, he speaks to John Maslen about the challenges and changes he has faced in the motor industry and what the future holds.

Mercedes-Benz executives have demonstrated their commitment to the corporate sector as they launch the new E-Class

Multi-marque vehicle leasing and fleet management company Alphabet is launching a new operation in Spain

FLEETS could be paying tens of thousands of pounds a year more for their fuel than rival companies, just because of the location of their drivers, new research has revealed.

DAIHATSU has launched a new '333' offer that it claims will substantially cut the cost and reduce the risk of running commercial vehicles.

CONSTRUCTION industry supplier Shorco has replaced nearly a quarter of its fleet with Peugeots following the popularity among drivers of the one Peugeot 406 estate it previously had.

Renault has extended its manufacturer's warranty, called Diamond Warranty, to two years with unlimited mileage

Ford has announced prices for the new Fiesta, which goes on sale from April 5, promising increased specification and lower insurance ratings against out-going models.

SIXT Kenning has created a new sales structure to reinforce its coverage of the fleet and business travel market.