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Speed camera debate gets more confusing

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

The situation regarding traffic speed cameras appears to be getting more confusing by the day. Van drivers who reckoned their commercial vehicle insurance quote would no longer be put in jeopardy by road safety cameras may well have to think again.

Who benefits?

Over the last 12 months many Local Authorities have decided that Government cuts have put the running and maintenance of fixed speed cameras in particular, beyond their budgets. The main bone of contention all along has been that running costs have come from the local council but the revenue stream i.e. speeding fines, ended up in central Government coffers.

The revolution started in Wiltshire and quickly spread, and in fact is still spreading. Only this month two more areas have confirmed they will be stopping the funding for fixed speed cameras. Both are in the West Country, namely South Gloucestershire and Somerset.

Change of direction

There is, however, an intriguing turn of events further down in the West Country. Devon and Cornwall authorities have also decided to turn their static speed cameras off, but are investing more money into mobile speed cameras. It takes some stretch of the imagination to believe that mobile speed cameras are cheaper to run than fixed cameras. That is of course unless mobile cameras attract better revenue.

Honesty called for

Van drivers across the country have always insisted that the function of speed cameras was at least in part to raise revenue, a statement that as always been denied by the powers that be. At long last we may have evidence to the contrary. Of course we all know that speed cameras play a part in contributing to road safety, it is the natural reaction of most drivers to slow down when they see one. That is not in dispute. All drivers know how costly it is to get on the road these days, the cost of road tax, driving lessons and insurance for vans or other vehicles makes it disastrous to lose ones licence for something so stupid as speeding points. Most drivers would just prefer a little honesty on the main focus behind the lens.

Tags: Speed camera
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Nemo van wins the Future Car Challenge

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

If any more evidence was needed that alternative power sources for motor vehicles is the way forward for the motor industry, surely the Brighton to London Future Car challenge last weekend provided it.

With over 60 entrants for the race that included electric vehicles, hydrogen cell powered vehicles and hybrids the challenge was to cover the 60 miles to the Capital using the least amount of fuel/energy possible.

Because of the number of entrants and the complicated formula needed to work out the winner, although the race finished in Pall Mall on Sunday afternoon it was only yesterday that the winners were declared. The rather good news for those in the van trade was that a Nicholson McLaren Engines NEMO van came out as one of the big winners.

Incredibly the van driven by Neil Mcintee and aided by Simon North, both of whom are involved in the commercial vehicle trade, completed the 60 miles using less than £1 worth of fuel. An added bonus for the winners was that not only did they win the vans section; the NEMO was comfortably the most energy efficient electric vehicle in the competition. It used only about half of the fuel that the second best electric vehicle managed.

Obviously the sales department of the Nicholson McLaren NEMO are expecting the van to attract plenty of commercial vehicle insurance quotes once the news of its performance in the challenge reverberates around the country. Converted from an ordinary Citroen Nemo van the converted vehicle has a range of 80 miles in urban areas and a payload of over 500 kgs. The van also operates comfortably at 60 mph.

The Hampshire based factory of Nicholson McLaren is enjoying quite a lot of success at the moment as it is not only converting electric vehicles to optimum performance but also converting vans and trucks to comply with impending demands of the London Congestion Charge Zone.

Vans operating in and around the capital will need to comply with the Dual Fuel emission levels by January 2012 if they want to avoid the massive charges levied on non compliant vehicles every day.

Posted in Events, Exhibitions, commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

Van drivers chewing over a problem in Dorset

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

As most van drivers know and are constantly being told anyway, keeping one’s vehicle in tip top condition is not only a safety procedure, but also gives a positive return in economic performance.

We are told by many motoring organisations about the checks van drivers and motorists in general should make before they leave home. Take a look at your tyres, your wing mirrors, and your windscreen to ensure everything is as it should be. Apart from anything else the checks should lessen the chance of an accident due to some failure with the van, which in turn should mean lower commercial vehicle insurance quotes. How many of us would actually think to get underneath the car and check that everything is okay below, and come to that how many of us would know if something was amiss anyway.

It appears that van drivers in the south may well have to resort to making a quick check underneath the vehicle as a new menace seems to be materialising. The latest victim of the new danger was Chris Wood, a carpenter, from Dorset. As Chris set off for work one morning last week, as soon as he applied his brakes before entering onto the highway he realised that the brake pedal had gone straight to the floor and he was in serious danger.

Chris managed to bring the vehicle to a halt and looking back up his drive saw a tell tale puddle of fluid in the middle of the drive. Something or someone had cut his brake pipe leaving the van with a serious problem. Mechanics at his local garage confirmed that the pipe had teeth marks in it and had indeed been chewed through. There have been other similar incidents in the area, with local papers suggesting the growing fox population in the Dorset region could explain the incidents.

Wildlife experts suggest that the likelihood of foxes being the culprits is slim as they would not be drawn under a vehicle as they hunt by sight and smell, however, they do believe squirrels or other rodents could be to blame. Whatever the animal responsible the sight of a van driver wriggling under his vehicle in the early hours may become more common place in future.

Posted in Events, Safety, Van Insurance, petrol prices | No Comments »

Camper van festival big success

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Lovers of VW campervans and for that matter most other things VW, had their annual get together this weekend in Norfolk.

Fritton Park, East Anglia was the venue for the VW Whitenoise Weekend three day festival, which attracts fans of the VW campervan from all over the world. This weekend drew more than 3000 van owners and their families and was rather special as it celebrated the 60^th anniversary of the Volkswagen van.

Van owners relish the chance to get together and exchange stories and tips on how to renovate their cherished vehicles and most importantly how to access spares. Seen at the show this weekend was a Polific Autowax panel van from 1963 who’s owner Ash Purney believed it to be the last of its kind on earth.

Ash’s story was probably repeated by other fans all weekend long, he had actually renovated the cherished van by using parts from three vehicles. Another visitor had come in his 1959 VW German ex-firebus, just one of three VW vans he owned. He had left his bay windowed campervan and a VW Corrado at home this year. It seems there is as much fun in the rebuilding and tracking down of parts as there is in actually driving them.

This point was reinforced by one festival goer who estimated he had spent over £20,000 on one 1955 Kombi. To celebrate the 60 years of VW vans, festival organisers Neil and Lynne Haughey were hoping to get at least one example of VW van from every year of manufacture i.e. 1950 to 2010.

The festival is now in its eighth year and seems to go from strength to strength. This year’s event drew many other trade stands linked with the van scene and of course the surfing lifestyle inextricably associated with it. Live music and the Show n’ Shine competition, where owners vie for a coveted trophy also proved very popular with the crowds.

Van drivers should note that campervans usually require a different type of insurance to commercial vehicle insurance, but if in doubt can always check with their insurance company.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, Exhibitions, Van Insurance
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Festival puts home deliveries on hold

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

It appears that being a van driver for Sainsbury’s in Edinburgh could well be a very relaxing job next month. It will also be very unlikely that claims on commercial vehicle insurance will hit new heights, Why? Because vans that usually deliver to certain areas in the city will have nowhere to go.

Sainsbury’s have announced their grocery home delivery vans will not be operating in the Murrayfield, Giorgie and Broomhouse areas of Edinburgh between August 13^th and September 5^th because they are concerned the vans will get caught up in traffic jams created by crowds attending the Edinburgh festival.

Not surprisingly Edinburgh’s citizens are hopping mad, with one councillor telling locals to ditch Sainsbury’s altogether and shop at other supermarkets, who, it must be said, are continuing with their normal service.

It does make one wonder how citizens elsewhere are affected by big events. I live in Cornwall, right by the sea and near Newquay, whose population goes from 20,000 to 220,000 in the six weeks of the school holidays in summer. The roads are not what one can call good to say the least A white line down the middle of the road to a Cornishman, meaning there is room for vehicles to actually pass each other comfortably, is tantamount to a motorway.

Imagine then the trouble van drivers have here, imagine also the amount of trade any supermarket is turning down by cancelling home deliveries because their vans may be held up in traffic. And what about Londoners, should they not expect home deliveries if there is an event at Wembley, Wimbledon or Twickenham. Do the good people of Cheltenham have to do without take away deliveries when the Cheltenham Festival is on? What about the van drivers of Liverpool, do they all twiddle their thumbs and watch the Grand National on television until the traffic has died down, the mind boggles!

A spokesman for the Edinburgh store said the decision to curtail their delivery service was a last resort. It remains to be seen how many former customers start using the service once again on September 6^th.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, festival, home deliveries
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A trip down memory lane

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Van Drivers young and old will have an affinity with one type of van and the history that goes with it. Surprisingly enough there is no particular manufacturer associated with the vehicle. It was a van that was nearly always heard before it was seen and one that in my case anyway often had me turning to my grandparents rather than mum and dad.

These tunes should ring a bell so to speak, with more than one generation; Popeye the Sailor man, Greensleeves, Do ye ken John Peel, O Soleil Mio and the Westminster Chimes. Yes you’ve got it, the ice cream van.

The mere mention of the songs takes one back to a childhood when Sunday afternoons were special treat days and the treat was usually an ice cream after Sunday school. The mere thought of it makes the taste buds jingle whereas today the mere taste of it reminds me of my next dental appointment.

Anyone fancying a trip down memory lane could do worse than visit the Transport Museum in Coventry situated in the town centre in Millennium Place. The museum has put together an ice cream van exhibition that will run through to September.

The exhibition traces the history of ice cream and the vehicles it was sold from through the 20^th century up to modern day, displaying the implements the ice cream was served from, including the giant tubs and steel scoops and the glasses they were served in before ice cream cones were introduced. Pride of place though goes to the ice cream vans and their forerunners.

The tricycles and hand carts that the vendors originally used are on display, as is a 1928 Morris Cowley which was converted into one of the earliest ice cream vans, complete with trap door which the vendor would open and stand on the road beneath to serve his customers.; what modern day insurers would make of that when giving a commercial vehicle insurance quote is hard to imagine. Also featured is a local van from bygone days, produced by the famous D Di Mascio family who ploughed their trade in the streets of the east midlands. Modern day vans are represented by a Bedford HA which is covered in the livery of Batman and Robin.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, Exhibitions, Ice cream, Ice cream vans, Museums, Van Insurance, Van Show
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Commercial Vehicle Show To Take Place At NEC Next Month

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

The commercial vehicle show is due to take place from the 13^th-15^th April next month. It is a highlight on the calendar for fleet managers and drivers alike.

There will be a variety of new vans exhibited and anybody looking to make a purchase is encouraged to visit. Companies specialising in vehicle maintenance equipment, replacement parts, logistics and fleet management systems will also be present.

There will be particular focus on the environmental impact of commercial vehicles at this years show. Those who attend will be given practical advice on how to cut CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. More and more commercial vehicle manufacturers are releasing electric vehicles, attempting to do their bit for the environment.

Commercial vehicle manufacturers, Smith, are set to occupy one of the biggest stands at the event. It will measure at a considerable 400sq m. They are celebrating nine decades of creating economically friendly low carbon commercial vehicles.

Geoff Dunning, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, said, ‘this is a tremendous show for the industry. We are planning a new style of show, targeted at transport operators that will add value and deliver operating solutions’.

‘This new Show will be an ideal platform, particularly for those specialising in vehicle maintenance equipment, replacement parts, logistics and fleet management systems’, Nick Jones, chief executive at the Society of Operations Engineers, added.

‘This industry needs a business-to-business Show to cater for professional transport operators’ wide-ranging needs and the Commercial Vehicle Operator Show will do exactly that’, he continued.

The show provides a fantastic opportunity for those looking to expand their fleet of commercial vehicles. With such a wide variety of exhibitors present at the NEC there is likely to be a vehicle that will provide the perfect solution to a fleet managers needs.

‘By creating a lively marketplace, where operators can meet and discuss business with the widest possible range of providers, the CV Show Partnership aims to improve the efficiency and profitability of this vital UK industry and its suppliers’, Nick Jones was keen to point out.

51 different operators are to make their first appearance at the show. This news was welcomed by Jones. ‘I am delighted in the confidence shown by the vast range of suppliers and services that will be present at the Show’ he said.

There has been great optimism among the organisers of the show that it will be a real success for all involved. The NEC always proves to be a fantastic venue for motor shows and April is bound to remain a significant date on the calendar of those involved in the commercial vehicle industry.

Plans are already afoot for next years show. The major truck and van manufacturers are all likely to return. They see the show as a great opportunity to get their vehicles talked about and potentially increase purchases.

Despite the feeling of optimism among many commercial vehicle manufacturers, truck makers fear that 2010 could be one of the worst years in recent memory. The market for new trucks hit a new low in 2009 and there have been few signs of recovery since then.

Marketing budgets have fallen behind sales volumes by some way. There are concerns that 2011 could be the final year that the show takes place.

However, 270 different exhibitors are to take a stand at the event this year and the anticipated visitor numbers are 51% up on 2008. There is thought to be an equal split between those visitors operating in the truck and van industries.

Anybody tempted to purchase a new commercial vehicle is reminded of the importance of Commercial Vehicle Insurance.

Tags: Van Show
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