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News and Updates from CVSL

Advice for Fleet managers – Fleet drivers face new sight threat to licences

Car Leasing, Fleet Industry News, Tax and Legislation News, ,

Company car and van drivers could be stripped of their licence within hours if they fail a roadside eyesight test. Fleet managers are being advised to give everyone who drives a company vehicle regular eyesight tests following the introduction of tougher legislation. The police were officially given enhanced powers to take immediate action against any motorist who fails a roadside eye test on February 7. Any driver stopped by police who is unable to read a licence plate at a distance of 20 metres will now have their driving licence stripped within a matter of hours. Although there is currently no specific legal requirement for a business to ensure that its drivers comply with minimum sight requirements, companies are being encouraged to introduce regular eye tests to prove duty of care

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Changes to MOT vehicle testing announced

Car Leasing, Fleet Industry News, Tax and Legislation News, , , ,

Changes to the MOT for cars and large vehicle tests come into force later this month as new European requirements on roadworthiness take effect.

From 20 March 2013, revised European legislation will introduce new requirements to annual vehicle tests to reflect advances in technology. The changes include additional checks for some of the vehicle systems already examined such as brakes, steering, suspension and lighting. These changes will not affect the basic cost of a test.

Tests carried out on cars, vans, heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches will be affected.

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency chief executive Alastair Peoples said:  “The MOT test is designed to make sure that a vehicle is fit to be on the road and so it needs to be updated to reflect new vehicle technology.

“We at VOSA have worked closely with the industry to make sure they are prepared for the changes; and testers have been letting customers know about the new items at the MOT test for more than a year to make sure they are ready for the changes.”

There will be new checks on a number of items including:

  • Electronic power steering malfunction indicator lamp
  • Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated or inoperative
  • Engine mountings
  • Speedometer
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Geneva Motor Show: Volkswagen Golf named Car of the Year

Car Leasing, Fleet Industry News, Uncategorized, , , ,

Volkswagen’s Golf has been named Europe’s Car of the Year 2013 at the Geneva Motor Show.

The lower-medium car beat the Ford B-Max, Hyundai i30, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Peugeot 208, Renault Clio and Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT86 to the honour.

The finalists were evaluated by the panel of judges, consisting of 58 automotive journalists from 22 countries, during the past few months under a broad range of criteria, such as fuel efficiency, comfort, safety, driving properties, functionality, design and technological progress.

Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the board of management of the Volkswagen AG, said: “That's a superb result, and we are very proud of it.

“This most significant European award is the perfect final touch to the list of prizes we've already won.”

Check out our VW Golf quotes on two, three or four year deals on our up to the minute quoting system on the website.

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Driving Licence Advice

Tax and Legislation News, ,

 

Many drivers face a fine of £1,000 if they fail to update their photo-card driving licences, according to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. It started issuing photo-card licences 15 years ago and more than 30 million drivers now have one. These are usually valid for 10 years and there is a legal requirement for drivers to renew the photograph at the same time as they renew their licence. However, two million drivers have failed to do this. And this means they could be fined up to £1,000 should they be pulled over by the police, who then discover that the photo and licence is out of date. Even failing to notify the DVLA that you have changed address could be costly. So its worth getting everyone in your company to check that there licenses are all up to date and therefore avoiding these fines and any other implications this may have.

Changes to HMRC advisory fuel rates

Car Leasing, Fleet Industry News, Tax and Legislation News, ,

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published the latest Advisory Fuel Rates (AFRs) with changes to diesel and LPG rates.

Rates had remained unchanged for two consecutive quarters and had not risen since March 2012 when they rose by 1p per mile for larger and smaller diesel engines.

However, HMRC has increased the reimbursement rate for diesel powered cars with an engine of 1600cc or less from 12p to 13p, while the rates of 15p for cars with engines between 1601cc to 2000cc and 18p for cars powered by an engine above 2000cc remain unchanged.

Petrol rates also remain unchanged, while LPG rates for cars with engines of less than 1400cc and those between 1401cc and 2000cc fall by 1p each to 10p and 12p respectively. The LPG rate for cars over 2000cc remains unchanged at 18p. 

The latest rates, which organisations use to reimburse drivers for fuel used on business journeys, take effect from Friday (March 1).

New rates in bold, previous rates in brackets.

Petrol
1400cc or less 15p (15p)
1401cc to 2000cc 18p (18p)
Over 2000cc 26p (26p)

Diesel
1600cc or less 13p (12p)
1601cc to 2000cc 15p (15p)
Over 2000cc 18p (18p)

LPG
1400cc or less 10p (11p)
1401cc to 2000cc 12p (13p)
Over 2000cc 18p (18p)

 

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