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Plans have just been announced to use the hard shoulder on motorways to avoid congestion. The first of the plans was to charge £5 per car to those joining a traffic jam on the motorway by driving along the hard shoulder. Other plans involve the use of hard shoulders on the M3, M4, M5 and M27 as a type of toll lane with sensors mounted on gantries above the motorway to Read more »

So what’s distracting motorists the most? For the ladies is it the dress shop with that great dress in the window or the little lambs playing in the field or for the men is it that page 3 model who just happens to be walking down the street as you are driving down it or the brand new Aston Martin that you are just about to burn off from the traffic lights? Or of course Read more »

Did the measures announced by the Chancellor of the 24^th November have any affect on drivers or the industry? Not much is the answer. The VAT drop on fuel has been balanced out by increased duty but will the duty come off again when VAT returns to it’s current level? It will also have the affect of putting up prices Read more »

As many councils stand to lose millions of pounds following the collapse of the Icelandic banking system they will be looking at ways to recoup some of the losses by cutting costs. One area could be road maintenance and gritting and another could be street lighting in the name of saving the environment. However, the AA has warned councils against the turn off policy Read more »

The Health & Safety Act 2008, which increases penalties for those who break health and safety laws, has received its royal assent. The act raises the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000 and the range of offences for which an individual can be imprisoned has also been broadened. I will hopefully be able to bring you more information over the next few weeks. Don’t forget that health and safety at work extends to vehicles used for company business. By Graham Hill

It is that time of year when safety organisations remind drivers to carry out safety checks to ensure that you don’t find yourself with a broken car or skidding out of control on icy roads. Make sure that you check your tyres and pressures and your brakes. You can have your battery condition checked for free at most battery fitters, better to replace before you get into the car on a frosty morning and find the battery dead. Check the Read more »

Manufacturers were going a bit crazy last week as they warned contract hire companies and brokers from selling on hugely discounted new cars. As though this was earth shatteringly new! It isn’t, how do you think the car supermarkets have been able to sell new cars more cheaply than main dealers can buy them for? The practice of daily rental companies selling on brand new cars to Read more »

Finally it would seem that fewer people are using private cars for business since the Government chose not to adjust the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP) in line with increasing running costs especially the increase in fuel costs. The rates are still set at 40 pence per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25 pence per mile thereafter, tax and NI free. This rate was set six years ago Read more »

A free website was launched earlier in the year aimed at reducing carbon emissions and increasing the efficient use of taxis. The website is www.emptycabs.com . The website is a free message board where anyone looking to book a taxi, to an airport for example, can be put in touch with Read more »

As if to support my comments made over the last few weeks market analyst Datamoniter has recorded a growth in vehicle leasing in the fleet sector as more companies release cash tied up in their vehicles and reduce exposure to market conditions by selling off the cars they own and replace them with leased vehicles. New vehicle sales generally slumped further in August from the July drop of 7.3% to an unprecedented 15.6%. Consumers, unaware of the cash flow benefits of leasing new cars, have really Read more »