UK Air Illegally High In Particulate Matter

Tuesday, 27. July 2010

How’s your breathing, do you suffer with hay fever? Well if your breathing has been affected recently it may not have been because of pollen. It seems that the European Commission has been threatening Britain with legal action for allowing more unhealthy PM10 particulate matter airborne pollution than permitted under EU legislation. Transport is a key source of PM10 pollutants. As a result the UK has been given 2 Read more »

UK Faces Fine For Unhealthy Levels Of Particulates In The Air

Monday, 26. July 2010

How’s your breathing, do you suffer with hay fever? Well if your breathing has been affected recently it may not have been because of pollen. It seems that the European Commission has been threatening Britain with legal action for allowing more unhealthy PM10 particulate matter airborne pollution than permitted under EU legislation. Transport is a key source of PM10 pollutants. As a result the UK has been given 2 Read more »

Cheap Chinese Tyres Bordering Dangerous

Wednesday, 14. July 2010

New tyres must meet European standards for safety and a raft of other basic regulations covering grip, economy, speed etc. British standards cover re-treads and remoulds as well as puncture repairs so many motorists look to replace their current tyres with the cheapest they can find, believing that all tyres that are sold meet basic standards and that the standards mean that whilst the cheepo tyres might not last quite Read more »

Leasing Companies Start To Use Non Franchised Dealers For With Maint Servicing

Tuesday, 25. May 2010

I’ve often pointed out to customers that they can now have their new cars serviced at non franchised dealers and still retain their warranty cover. This resulted from the changes that were made to the EU Block Exemption rules removing the stranglehold that manufacturers had over the servicing of new vehicles during the warranty period, that was cunningly extended by most manufacturers to 3 years. In an effort to Read more »

Graham Hill, Car Finance Expert, Announces Changes In MOT Checks That Will Increase Costs

Saturday, 10. April 2010

the EU is planning stricter rules on MOT testing. This will immediately increase the cost of the MOT as more items are to be checked. This has resulted from the European Union passing a new set of stricter rules on minimum road worthiness. The EU ministers agreed that ‘modern electronic systems be included in the list of items to be tested’. This change along with others already planned will be introduced in Read more »

Car Finance Expert Graham Hill Asks Why Isn’t The Fitting Of Life Saving ESC Mandatory?

Thursday, 11. March 2010

The Bank of England in Threadneedle Street, Lo...
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Whilst the number of new cars fitted with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), also known as Electronic Stability Program (ESP), is increasing, following a push by inventors Bosch and the Association of Car Fleet Operators (ACFO), to inform car buyers of the benefits, more private buyers are having the safety device fitted than fleet buyers. Department for Transport research suggests ESC equipped vehicles are 25% less Read more »

ESC or ESP Saves Lives – Why Isn’t It Standard On All Cars?

Thursday, 25. February 2010

Whilst the number of new cars fitted with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), also known as Electronic Stability Program (ESP), is increasing, following a push by inventors Bosch and the Association of Car Fleet Operators (ACFO), to inform car buyers of the benefits, more private buyers are having the safety device fitted than fleet buyers. Department for Transport research suggests ESC equipped vehicles are 25% less Read more »

New EU Cooling Off Period Rules

Tuesday, 9. February 2010

On the subject of the new EU Consumer Credit Directive there is a change to the 14 day cooling off period that is given to consumers when they sign the finance agreements off trade premises. Currently you can cancel an agreement if it is regulated under the Consumer Credit Act and signed away from the premises of the funder, the broker or the dealer. However, if you sign on trade premises you don’t have the 14 day Read more »

Good News For Those That Like To Own Their Cars

Monday, 8. February 2010

For those that like to own their vehicles and have a penchant for hire purchase there is some good news, you can now receive treatment for this condition, known as ‘bonkers’, on the NHS. OK serious stuff. I reported last year that the EU had issued a directive that meant that, amongst other things, the ability to voluntarily terminate your agreement once 50% of the full cost has been repaid would no longer apply to Read more »

New EU Carbon Tax Will Increase Pump Prices

Thursday, 3. December 2009

A recent report in Fleet News has revealed that the EU is planning a new carbon tax on all motor fuel. This would add a further tax to VAT and fuel duty already charged. Thomas Carroll, the EU’s taxation directorate general, told a recent meeting of European accountants that the new commission could review the EU’s 2003 energy taxation directive as early as the New Year. The draft proposals insist that excise duties Read more »