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Essential Fleet Operator NewsThe latest news from across the sector
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Local authorities invited to bid for part of over £78 million transport fund.
Sustainable transport schemes across England could benefit from a multi-million boost in funding, thanks to the Department for Transport. Local authorities have today (23 December 2013) been invited to bid for a £78.5 million slice of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
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The Department for Transport (DfT) pledged the cash to enable CTC, the National Cycling Charity, to revamp its Fill that hole website and develop a new app compatible with smartphones running Android software.
Over 9 million iPhone users can download the website’s current app to report potholed roads to their councils; the new app could boost that figure to over 26 million and is expected to be ready in February, at the start of ‘pothole season’ when the winter damage to roads is at its greatest. 2014 will be a big year on the Freight Transport Association (FTA) calendar as the Association celebrates its 125th anniversary.
Boasting a rich heritage, FTA has been supporting the interests of the transport industry since 1889, when it was first established as the Mansion House Association on Railway Rates (MHA). FTA has since undergone changes to become the recognised face of the freight transport industry today.
Commenting on his new appointment, Willis said: ‘I’m delighted to be returning to the Volkswagen Group in the UK. The Group is going from strength to strength and now holds close to a 20 per cent share of the UK car market.’
According to 4x4 Magazine, the multi award-winning Amarok was praised for its 4-wheel-drive 4MOTION technology which gives the driver maximum control on any surface and features Electronic Stabilisation Programme, Electronic Differential Lock, on and off road Anti-lock Braking System and Anti-Slip Regulation, all as standard. The vehicle’s unique blend of practicality and versatility both on and off-road meant it was ranked ahead of all other challengers.
In May 2012 the government introduced primary legislation to Parliament that would create a new offence of driving with a specified controlled drug in the body above the specified limit for that drug. The Crime and Courts Act 2013 sets out the framework for the new offence.
Regulations now need to be made to specify the drugs to be included in the legislation and the limits to be specified. The Department for Transport has published a consultation seeking views on the government’s proposed limit for amphetamine to be included in these regulations. The proposals follow an earlier consultation conducted over the summer on the proposed 17 drugs and limits for 16 of them. DfT did not propose a limit for amphetamine as they sought views in that consultation on what a suitable limit might be. DfT has analysed the responses and concluded that the limit should be 50µg/L.
With each vehicle taking up to 24 hours to complete, staff at the Cirencester-based operation have been working hard to deliver the order.
Spring 2014 will see the launch of Volvo Trucks’ flagship model - the Volvo FH16 - in Euro-6 configuration. With a new generation of 16-litre engines, it not only conforms to the strict standards for low emissions, it also meets high expectations on performance and productivity from customers in the most demanding operations. Kristin Signert, Long Haul Segment Manager at Volvo Trucks, said: “We are proud to have succeeded in meeting the Euro-6 requirements while at the same time retaining the best driveability and performance on the market. Fuel consumption also remains highly competitive.” The new Euro-6 engine range comprises three output levels: 750 hp (3,550 Nm), 650 hp (3,150 Nm) and 550 hp (2,900 Nm). All three engines are mated to Volvo’s automated transmission, I-Shift. The 550 hp version is also available in a variant with 2,800 Nm for a manual gearbox. Sales of the Volvo FH16 with Euro-6 engine will get under way in March 2014, with production scheduled for early June. Justin Tomlinson, MP for North Swindon, has been given a national road safety award by the charity Brake and Direct Line Group for his work campaigning to reform the way young people learn to drive to prevent devastating road crashes.
Justin launched his campaign in June 2013 after two horrendous crashes in May 2013 killed three teenagers in Swindon within the space of a week, bringing home the dangers faced by young and newly qualified drivers and their passengers. Young drivers are involved in one in four fatal and serious crashes, despite making up just one in eight driver licence holders [1]. Working to highlight the issue in Parliament, Justin introduced the Graduated Driving Licence Scheme Bill on 19 June 2013. The Bill proposed that for 12 months immediately after passing their tests, drivers would have licence restrictions to limit the risks they are exposed to. This would include a zero-tolerance drink drive limit and only being allowed to carry one passenger. These restrictions would be supported by graduated learning, with key skills signed off by an accredited instructor before being allowed to book a test. While Transport Managers play a vital role in the safe and efficient operations of their fleets, the wide range of skills and professional expertise required to do the job successfully is often not recognised and/or undervalued. The importance of this critical role has been reflected by the Institute establishing a dedicated Transport Manager Forum, which is supported by operators, regulators and senior industry figures.
The Forum will be of particular interest to those individuals named on ‘O’ Licences, all holders of a Transport Manager’s CPC and those who want to hold a CPC in transport management. The broad remit of the forum is to deliver against the following criteria:
If you would like to register your interest in this forum, please email us at transportmanagersforum@ciltuk.org.uk with your contact details, indicating whether you are also interested in becoming a committee member. The success of Citroën’s fleet car and LCV activity in 2013 has been recognised, during the course of the year, with a number of major independent accolades, including:
- Citroën Ready to Run Programme, Vans A2Z ‘One-Stop-Shop’ Award - Berlingo, Trade Van Driver ‘Best Small Van’ - Citroën Ready to Run Programme, Trade Van Driver ‘Best Conversion Range’ - Citroën, Van Fleet World Honours ‘Most Improved Manufacturer’ - Nemo, Van Fleet World Honours ‘Best Light Van’ - Berlingo Electric, Van Fleet World Honours ‘Environmental’ Award - Citroën, GreenFleet ‘Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year’ - Berlingo, Fleet Van ‘Small Van of the Year’
The 2014 Toyota Verso is the first to adopt the BMW-sourced 1.6-litre D-4D diesel engine KEY POINTS
Brake, the road safety charity, has published a new report for fleet managers on maintaining safe vehicles. Sponsored by Licence Bureau and published through Brake's Fleet Safety Forum, the report contains results of a Brake survey of fleets' management of vehicle safety, and gives guidance on how fleet managers can ensure vehicles are safely maintained.
Inadequate vehicle maintenance can cost lives: vehicle defects contributed to 2,125 crashes in Great Britain in 2011, 52 of them causing deaths. It is vital that fleet managers ensure their vehicles are safe and roadworthy, and that mechanics working on their vehicles are properly trained. ACFO and the Energy Saving Trust (EST) are urging public, private and voluntary organisations to have their electric vehicle knowledge bank fully charged by attending a special seminar.
The fleet-decision-makers’ organisation is joining forces with BMW and a wide range of other electric vehicle experts, including the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), to provide managers with the very latest information. The seminar will be held on Tuesday, 18th February, 2014 at BMW Oxford - the home of the Mini - from 10am-4pm. BMW’s first fully-electric production car, the i3, has just gone on UK sale and it will be followed next year by the plug-in hybrid i8 sports car The Government has forecast that by 2050 it anticipates almost every car and van on the nation’s roads to be an ultra low emission vehicle - and that implies a huge take-up among fleets and consumers for electric power. Low-level lights are set to give cyclists improved, clearer signals
New low-level traffic lights designed for cyclists have been authorised for use following safety trials, Transport Minister Stephen Hammond has announced. More than 80% of cyclists favoured the use of low-level signals during the track-based trials of the system, which works by repeating the signal displayed on main traffic lights at the eye level of cyclists. The clearance means that Transport for London (TfL) can now install the lights at Bow Roundabout – the first time the lights have been used in the UK. Initially the system will be piloted at Bow but the Department for Transport (DfT) is working with TfL to extend it to a further 11 sites in London. The further 11 sites are listed below. The lights will give cyclists improved, clearer signals to ensure they have the information they need at the junction. Research is currently underway that will give DfT the evidence to consider approving the use of these lights to provide an “early start” for cyclists. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and TfL have been trialling a range of measures to improve the safety of cyclists, including new designs for roundabouts and bus stop bypasses.
The Freight Transport Association is pleased to announce the return of the Van Excellence Conference 2014, which are scheduled to take place on two dates – Tuesday, 8 April (Elstree, London) and Thursday, 10 April (Manchester).
Following the success of this years Van Excellence conferences, when VOSA informed attendees that the Authority would be undertaking a programme of targeted enforcement checks on vans in all the major towns and cities throughout Great Britain, and quoted the fact that an average 75 per cent were subject to overloading prohibition, one of the key sessions of the 2014 events will focus on load security and overloading. A third of drivers simply don’t enjoy driving anymore, according to a poll by road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).
The main reason given for not enjoying driving on the roads was the cost of fuel (51%) closely followed by congestion (41%), no longer excited by driving (28%) and less leisure time (25.9%). |
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