News - Page 1948

TRANSPORT for London (TfL) is to complete an audit review of Capita, the group in charge of the London congestion charge scheme, after it emerged cheques issued in payment for fines were not processed correctly.

FLEETS are gaining a louder voice in Whitehall as ministers recognise the importance of the industry to British business.

PROPOSALS to increase new vehicle registration tax have been criticised by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) as an extra burden on the fleet industry.

FIAT'S revamped Punto range will cost from £6,995 on-the-road for the entry-level 1.2 8V model.

EFFICIENT and environmentally-friendly fleet management will go under the spotlight at a series of free seminars held for the fleet industry by TransportEnergy Best Practice.

NEW laws governing the use of mobile phones while driving could place fleets in a legislative nightmare if they fail to have approved hands-free kits installed in their vehicles.

MERCEDES-BENZ has revealed the first official pictures of its Formula 1-inspired flagship, the SLR McLaren.

NORTH Wales Fire Service has taken delivery of 12 Citroen Berlingo Multispace 2.0 HDi cars and one Berlingo van for its fleet.

CITROEN will be offering a six-speed manual transmission on C5 models, along with the expansion of the VTR range to include more powerful engines.

ADNAMS Brewery is using an Iveco Daily City Truck to perform a role previously carried out by two vehicles.

THRIFTY'S largest licensee, Bellhire, has opened a sixth franchise based in Kingston-upon-Thames.

PEUGEOT has launched an automatic version of the 807 2.0 HDi.

PRESTIGE hire company Guy Salmon has added a range of convertibles to its rental fleet.

FLEETS must play a major part in educating their drivers about the forthcoming ban on using hand-held mobile phones while driving.

PEUGEOT has confirmed prices for its 307CC which will go on sale later in the summer.

FARGO Vehicle Hire has taken delivery of 15 LDV Convoy vans and minibuses in a deal worth £350,000 at showroom prices.

A NEW transport management system aims to reduce costs for fleets by providing accurate route planning and management guidance.

A WARRINGTON-based transport company has saved £400 a month on fuel after installing Masternaut's internet-based telematics service to its fleet of 25 vans.

ENVIRONMENTAL groups have condemned the Government's £7 billion plan to widen some of the country's most congested roads, amid fears it will create increased traffic noise and air pollution.

THE Government is looking to the UK's fleet operators to prove the financial and environmental benefits of adopting clean fuel technologies for vehicles, such as gas and electric power and biodiesel.

THE Government has been accused of obstructing fuel cell innovation and allowing other countries to take the lead in developing the technology, according to a damning report published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr).

JIM Goss has joined Manheim Auctions as group reconditioning and certified manager. He was previously with Dent Wizard and Flying Colours for three years.

FLEET managers must ensure they have the right strategy in place before launching a driver risk management policy, according to Will Murray of Zurich Risk Services.

FLEET decision-makers have been warned they could be walking into a sex discrimination minefield when creating car allocation policies for employees, following a high-profile court case.

SIX years after the demise of the Rover Metro, the British firm is back in the city car sector with the Asian-built CityRover.

CONVERTIBLES are no longer the problem vehicles fleets often assume they are and seasonal changes in demand are becoming less noticeable because of the strength of vehicles and brands available.

BCA claims it has staged the largest sale of Audi products ever held in Europe. Out of the 228 Audi vehicles offered, 203 were sold at a conversion rate of 89% that brought in £3.5 million.

MANHEIM Auctions has signed a deal with Drive Motor Retail to become its preferred auction supplier for the disposal of its part-exchange vehicles.

SKODA has sold its 10,000th approved used vehicle since the current Approved Used Car Programme was launched in January 2001.