Following the recent proposal to scrap tolls on the Humber Bridge moving a step closer, the Freight Transport Association, is demanding the Government show consistency by also considering scrapping the tolls on the Severn Bridge. Transport Minister, Sadiq Khan, has recently announced that he was “seriously considering proposals to scrap or reduce the tolls” across the Humber Estuary.

Ian Gallagher, FTA’s Policy Manager for Wales said,”It is terribly inconsistent of the government to acknowledge the need to take a principled approach to protecting businesses from unfair and uncessary tolls, while blatantly ignoring the huge cost to industry of unabated and seemingly arbitrary price hikes on the Severn crossing”.

Goods vehicles pay more to use the Severn Crossing than they do for using any other bridge crossing and the tolls were recently raised in the New Year by 10 pence per lorry.

Infiniti

Infiniti, the luxury Japanese car manufacturer, has announced that it has now become an Official Sponsor and exclusive Automotive Partner for the Montreal based, Cirque du Soleil dance group.

Jon Brancheau, director global marketing, Global Infiniti Business Unit said,”At Infiniti,our intention is to move people emotionally as well as physically. We believe that this partnership will personify our brand’s desire to invoke graceful strength,vibrancy, craftsmanship and exhilaration in consumers”.

Infiniti will now join a host of top tier Official Sponsors including American Express, CG,  Sun Life Financial and W Hotels and will gain access to over 5.4 million Cirque du Soleil attendees worldwide.

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The recent Budget statement has shown yet again that driving a car with low CO2 emissions makes sense, both for company accounting and for the driver’s taxable benefit charge. If you are looking for a tax efficient company car have a look at our Audi car lease rentals for the Audi A3 1.6 TDI 99g/km 3-door diesel hatchback, at £209+VAT per month. The combined mpg for this diesel Audi is 74.3mpg and CO2 emissions are at 99g/km making this an attractive option.

Audi car lease terms are based on the following;

- Non-maintained business car leasing (contract hire) over a three year contract at 10,000 miles per year – total 30,000 miles.

- Only three month rentals in advance followed by 35 subsequent rentals.

-  This totals 38 equal payments

- “With maintenance”, metallic paint and all other accessory options can be added to your vehicle at an extra cost to the rental shown above.

-  Please note the image we have shown may not represent the exact model.

-  Pricing is subject to change at any time and must be verified directly with each vehicle leasing supplier

Boxster Spyder

Porsche has launched a new Boxster Spyder which is lighter than the roadster model with its manual roof. Weighing just 1,275kg, this is the lightest car in the Porsche line-up.

This car has been designed for driving in open-air and is a car for the Porsche purist. It is the third version in the Boxster range (joining the Boxster and Boxster S) yet the car has a character of its own. The main objective of the Porsche design team was to make the classic design of the current Boxster S even purer.

Julie Jenner, chairman of ACFO, the non-profit organisation for fleet operators said,”The Government’s decision to implement in three stages the widely anticipated 3p a litre rise in fuel duty is to be welcomed. However, for Chancellor Alistair Darling to suggest that that the move will help businesses is disingenuos. The only way that the Chancellor could have truly eased the duty burden was not to push ahead with any increase”.

The decision to cut benefit-in-kind tax on company cars that emit 75g/km of CO2 or below to 5% (8% for diesels) is a headline-grabbing move. With no such cars currently in showrooms it is likely to be at least 12-18 months before any driver can benefit from the move, which is when the first plug-in hybrids are expected to be launched”.

Ms Jenner went onto say,”With a general election anticipated on May 6, this Budget was short on significant announcements that impact fleets. The “real” 2010 Budget is likely to be within a couple of months of the election from whichever party wins at the polls”.

Jazz Si

Honda UK has launched  a new Honda Jazz Si grade with enhanced looks and extra features. The Si grade tops the 1.2-litre range with features over and above the SE specification and in the 1.4-litre range it is positioned at midpoint.

The Jazz Si has 16-inch Chronos alloy wheels, a chrome sports front grille and rear spoiler plus stylish embroidered carpet mats and Si branding on the bootlid and glove box. The car should be on sale from the 1st April 2010 and Honda contract hire prices will be loaded shortly.

On Sunday the 28th March, the clocks will go forward by one hour giving us an extra hour of daylight. However this will of course mean that we will lose an hour of sleep.

GEM Motoring Assist (GEM), the road safety and breakdown cover organisation is warning all car and commercial vehicle drivers to make sure they adapt their driving routines accordingly.

According to the ROSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents), research suggests that up to 20% of accidents are fatigue related and losing an hour of sleep is only going to increase levels of tiredness.

Renault Concept

Renault has provided a stunning new Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet car for hip-hop group N-Dubz, for use in their new pop video “Say It’s Over”. The Renault concept car has dramatic “dragonfly-wing” double doors and fitted the look for a futuristic car.

The new N-Dubz video film has already had almost 200,000 hits  on YouTube and is set to be  just a success as their first two videos.

Kwik-Fit has undertaken some new research showing that 28% of  UK motorists (5.8 million) have experienced a puncture or flat tyre in the last twelve months, spending £300 million on new rubber.

In 40% of cases, most punctures were repaired (saving 3.5 million motorists approximately £157 million at an average repair cost of £15). The research also showed that motorists in London were the most affected area, with the East Midlands registering the lowest number of punctures.

Kwik-Fit has also announced a new tyre deal after linking to Marangoni, the Italian tyre manufacturer, that offers free puncture repair and a free road hazard guarantee. With this guarantee, any repairable punctures are free, including tyre re-balancing,valves and nitrogen refill. They are also offering a 10% discount if you buy two Marangoni tyres and 20% if you buy four (this offer runs until the 31st March 2010). If you have a non-maintenance contract hire arrangement for your car or van, you are responsible for all maintenance of your vehicle, as well as tyres.

ecoFLEX from Vauxhall

Vauxhall and Opel have joined forces to find Europe’s top eco-driver with a Vauxhall Ampera being awarded to the winning driver.

The competition kicks off on the 1st April when successful entrants can show off their fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly driving skills. The contest will see who can squeeze the most amount of miles from one of the Vauxhall/Opel ecoFLEX models. To enter and register go to www.ecoflex-experience.co.uk

You will first have to enter an on-line quiz with the top UK driver then being invited, with 19 other entrants from other European countries, to the real driving event in Malmo, Sweden.

There are a total of 13 ecoFLEX models in the Vauxhall ecoFLEX range of Astra, Corsa, Agila and Zafira, and all can be easily quoted on Vauxhall car leasing from the site now.