ACFO champions fleets with Olympic seminar, BVRLA gives plug-in van grant the thumbs-up and as TfL open bus lanes to motorcyclists
Well another seven days have passed us by, but we here at Fleet Directory are not letting the best fleet related news of the last week pass you by, so read on…
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The ACFO are determined to ensure fleets of public, private and voluntary organisations are ready for the starting pistol when the Olympics and Paralympics come to London in less than 200 days time.
An Olympic seminar, hosted by ACFO, will take place at Ford of Britain’s Brentwood headquarters on Thursday, March 1 and will focus on travel preparations and will include speakers who have been working together with Olympic organisers.
The vast numbers of spectators and athletes alone that will be travelling to and from the Olympic venues on a daily basis is estimated at 855,000, with further numbers of officials, organisers and members of the media swelling those numbers further. In addition to this the Government has said it is hoping to reduce non-games travel by 30% during the period of July 27 to August 12 when the Olympic events will be held. The Paralympic games held on August 29 – September 9, will add further stress to London and the surrounding areas.
It is clear to see that forward planning is the key to successful transport for all organisations during the games duration and the main aim of the seminar is to help ACFO members achieve this.
“Doing nothing is not an option. Although London is the focal point of the Games there are events taking place in many other towns and cities. Organisations may be located many miles from London, but they would be wrong to think that the Games will not impact on them,” says ACFO chairman Julie Jenner.
Organisations who will be represented at the seminar include Transport for London, the Institute of Travel Management and the Freight Transport Association and than 70 ACFO members have already confirmed their attendance at the seminar.
If you want to ensure your place at ACFO’s Olympic Seminar please email the ACFO Secretariat at info@acfo.org.
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Following the news that the Government are introducing an £8,000 grant towards the purchase of electric plug-in vans, BVRLA chief executive John Lewis gives his comments on this incentive:
“It is great that the government has listened to the feedback from business fleets, who have spent the last year telling the government that the van market was crying out for this sort of low-carbon incentive. Electric vans are very expensive, but the combination of this grant, much lower running costs and some significant tax benefits will enable many fleets to take the plug-in van plunge. As well as identifying which vehicles will qualify for the grant, we hope that the government will learn the lessons from its introduction of the plug-in car grant by moving much more swiftly to clarify how the grant will be treated for VAT purposes.”
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Transport for London (TfL) have announced the opening of 418 sections of London road bus lanes to motorcyclists in a move that should see a lowering of congestion and CO2 emissions in the city and sees the capital joining existing schemes already running in Birmingham and Bristol.
However, research undertaken by Ealing Council and TfL have shown that the move could also leave motorcyclists and pedal cyclists open to increased risks of collision and severity of injury caused by these.
“This change will improve congestion and journey times for motorcyclists, and responsible bikers should find it safer being in a bus lane. Safer motorcycling in busy cities will encourage more moped and motorcycle use which can only be a good thing for traffic flow. But the evidence does show two of the most vulnerable road user groups – motorcyclists and cyclists – will be at more risk. This decision doesn’t just affect Londoners. With thousands more people visiting London for the Olympics this summer, everybody needs to be aware of the risks. Bus drivers and cyclists need to be vigilant and get used to sharing the space with motorcyclists, but there is a lot motorcyclists and cyclists can do to protect themselves,” says IAM chief executive Simon Best.
IAM’s top tips for motorcyclists:
- Always assume that other road users may not have seen you;
- When travelling in a straight line position yourself where you can be easily seen – don’t sit out next to the traffic beside you, or hug the kerb. You get lost to sight;
- Be seen. Big blocks of bright colour are better than broken up or patterned clothing, which effectively camouflages you, and always have your headlight on;
- Give other lane users time to realise you are there. Give cyclists space and time to avoid startling them;
- Don’t use the extra space in the bus lane to unnecessarily increase your speed;
- Be careful of traffic crossing the bus lane at junctions, both from side roads, and out of the queue on your right. They aren’t looking for you – they’re looking for a big bus;
- Look well ahead to avoid needing to make sudden changes in direction for potholes etc – bus lanes tend to have uneven surfaces.
IAM’s top tips for cyclists:
- Always assume that other road users may not have seen you;
- Claim the lane. Ride in the middle of the lane, moving to allow others past as needed, but never ‘hug’ the kerb;
- Make eye contact with drivers emerging from junctions, particularly if they are turning right;
- Be seen. Check your lights, and wear high visibility clothes. Put your front light on;
- Be aware of the other people who can use the bus lane. Don’t let them force you into things that are unsafe – but do try to make their lives easier by letting them past where its sensible;
- Don’t position yourself on the left of lorries and buses at junctions or undertake them on the left. The bus or lorry driver can’t see you, and if they turn left will cut across your path. They also have a different turning circle to a car – you risk getting trapped between the vehicle and roadside barriers
Do News Round-up readers believe the advantages of opening up these bus lanes outweigh the risks to bikers and cyclists in a city with a high rate of couriers, and with congestion charges and rising vehicle running costs forcing more and more motorists to revert to two wheels? Please share your views with us in our comments box below.
The RoSPA have announced the appointment of Kevin Bell to the role of Quality Manager to its Driver and Fleet Solutions team.
With 10 years previous experience working with the AA in roles from driving instructor to mentor of instructors Keith said: “I am looking forward to the challenge of this new role with RoSPA. It will be a two-way street, with me learning from RoSPA’s trainers as much as they will be learning from me.
“I hope to contribute to reducing accident rates and improving driver performance through RoSPA’s range of courses and fleet safety solutions tailored for organisations’ specific requirements. I will also be monitoring RoSPA trainers’ continuing professional development and providing feedback through a ‘hands on’ approach.”
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The Environmental Protection UK is the charity and driving force behind the The Campaign for Better Tyres, which is now embarking on it’s second stage, having previously worked with the commercial sector to educate and raise awareness about new tyre labelling and the choice of energy efficient, quieter and safer tyres that are now available, the campaign is now setting its sights on the public sector.
Using freedom of information requests it aims to glean information regarding tyre policies in public fleets and demand that political pressure should be used to secure improvements where necessary.
The Campaign for Better Tyres has also begun work that covers both sectors in a joint effort with Transport for London’s Fleet Operator’s Recognition Scheme (FORS) by developing a tyre policy template tyre for all FORS members.
The final phase of the campaign will begin later this month and will focus on individual consumers, raising awareness of not only the new tyre labelling, but also the benefits of good maintenance.
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And finally…
Our congratulations go to Karl Turner MP and Mark Spencer MP who have won the National and Community Campaigner Award respectively for their contributions to tackling road casualties and achieving justice and support for road traffic accident victims.
The Awards sponsored by Direct Line, were presented by road charity Brake at their annual reception last week at the Houses of Parliament.
Mr Turner, MP for East Hull, received recognition for his campaign for justice for those families who are devastated by the actions of dangerous drivers after being approached by a constituent who had been forced to retire early to provide car for his wife and daughter who received permanent injuries in an accident with an overtaking vehicle.
Mr Turner commented: “I am proud and honoured to have won Brake and Direct Line’s Road Safety Parliamentarian of the Year 2011 Award. I am delighted that I have been able to effect change in the law and the government have agreed to create a new law of Causing Serious Injury by Dangerous Driving. This law will carry a maximum sentence of five years. I believe that this change will put the victim at the heart of the judicial process and the sentence more fairly reflects the terrible damage and suffering that can be caused by dangerous driving.”
Mr Spencer, MP for Sherwood, received recognition for his proactive campaign to improve the safety of accident the plagued A614.
Mr Spencer said: “I’m pleased to say that statistically we seem to be making progress with improving the safety record of the A614 and a new 50mph speed limit order is in place between Ollerton Roundabout and Leapool Roundabout as a casualty reduction scheme. The challenge now is to ensure the enforcement of the speed limit and I have spoken with local police about ensuring this. There is still work to be done, particularly at the worst of the junctions, and I will continue to fight for improvements for those at Rose Cottage and Mickledale Lane.”
Julie Townsend, Brake’s deputy chief executive, said: “In 2011, these parliamentarians worked incredibly hard to achieve positive outcomes for their constituents and communities across the UK. Both have championed the cause of road safety and seen major breakthroughs as a result, contributing to improved safety on our roads and helping to reduce the terrible trauma suffered by crash victims. Moving into 2012, efforts like these are ever more important, if we are to tackle the resurgent death and injury toll on our roads. Brake commends both MPs for their valiant work which has, and will continue to, make a real difference to people’s lives.”
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So that’s it for now dear readers, but we do hope you can take another minute or two to leave us your views on the stories we have featured in this week’s article by using the comments box below. As always, drive safely and we’ll see you all next week for another News Round-up…
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