Available to all business drivers, ‘AlphaGuide’ advises how to react and stay safe in an accident or breakdown emergency, and addresses common questions from drivers, like what they need to do before taking their vehicle abroad.

Paul Hollick, Sales and Marketing Director of the multi-marque fleet funding company, said: “We created AlphaGuide to give drivers access to everything they need to know about their Alphabet vehicle at the touch of a button.

“As a result, our customers’ fleet teams should spend less time fielding routine queries.”

AlphaGuide also helps drivers order, maintain and return their vehicle including how they should book their car in for servicing, windscreen repairers and information on AlphaRent short term hire. In the event of an accident, the driver can also use the app to create a report with details of witnesses, the location and third parties, prompting the driver to take pictures of the scene too.

A click-to-call buttons for the Alphabet driver service centre and emergency services and a ‘my vehicle’ module where users can keep important information such as insurance details.

The AlphaGuide app is available on Apple products now through the App store which non-Apple devotees can access its functions at www.alphaguide.co.uk.

Publishing its new City Index which reveals the most common stresses and strains of city living, the car club found that road congestion was the leading cause of the new syndrome, which the firm defines as the “desire to challenge the status quo” of urban environments.

The study of over 2,000 British adults found that over half of (54%) felt congestion was a major source of stress closely followed by the sheer number of people (40%), noise (34%) and the ever-rising cost of city living (33%). 

The morning commute took the top spot as the biggest cause of anxiety with more than a third (36%) of those surveyed admitting that they feel stressed by the time they’d reached their desks.  A staggering 81 per cent of respondents report having been inconvenienced as a result of other people’s behaviour on their daily commute.

Public transport stresses

And it’s not just those who drive to work who feel the stressed. Using public transport to get to work was also a major cause of woe for urbanites. Top stresses for public transport commuters include inconsiderate commuters listening to loud music (29%), people barging past to get a seat (19%) and sitting next to someone with bad personal hygiene (19%). Commuters eating smelly food on public transport (11%) was also revealed as a bugbear.

Of course, Zipcar’s solution to the so-called Urbanitis? Why, join a car club of course, and ditch the idea of running your own car, saving money, reducing the number of cars on the roads and parked cars blocking the streets. 

Mark Walker, General Manager, Zipcar UK says: “For many of us, the daily commute and traffic is a fact of life, but if we are smart about how we use all the services available to us, modern life can be less stressful and more fun.

“Whilst public transport is often the most convenient and efficient way to travel around a city, there are some trips where driving just makes sense,  like when you’re doing a big shop, or when you’re heading out of town on business or escaping the city for a weekend away.  However, with the ever rising cost of car ownership, owning and running a car can be a stressful experience in the city.   Which is why becoming a member of a car club like Zipcar is a smarter option.”

For those occasions when public transport doesn’t quite work for you or business, car clubs like Zipcar are a convenient and cost-effective alternative.  Once you become a Zipcar member, bookings are easily made in a matter of minutes either online or via a smartphone.

In the UK, the firm operates in London, Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford.  In London, there are over 1,700 vehicles available for use at convenient locations across the Ccpital.  Members benefit from:  40 miles of fuel, insurance, maintenance, roadside assistance, road tax and the Congestion Charge all included. Zipcar offers 11 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to residents and businesses looking for an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning a car.  More information is available at www.zipcar.co.uk.

Of the 1,000 business drivers surveyed by ALD Automotive, 60% of them said they would not trade their current vehicle for an electric vehicle, with range worries at the centre of the rejection in nearly 4 in 5 cases.

Not enough charging points was another big reason not to embrace EVs for 77% of business drivers.

Less than a third of respondents would consider going electric with the prospect of zero CO2 emissions being the lead reason for 73% of them while cheaper running costs were the next most prominent factor (69%).

Just 6% of the business drivers surveyed would switch to an electric vehicle today.

Despite these rather damning findings, fleets were responsible snapping up nearly six in ten of all electric vehicles sold in 2011 and 93% of those sold so far this year.

Keith Allen, managing director of ALD Automotive UK, said: “The survey results highlight that whilst some business drivers may consider changing to an electric vehicle in the future, lack of charging points and battery range still need to be addressed by the Government and manufacturers in order to convince business drivers to make that all important switch.”

The car and seven vans will help Active Stirling’s Sports Development, Active Schools and Coaching teams travel to the 48 Primary and Secondary schools across the area to boost sports coaching and provision.

Jill Stephen, Customer Service Director of Ogilvie Fleet, said the group wanted to acknowledge Active Stirling’s work in the local schools and community.

She commented: “We are supporting those ambitions by providing the necessary servicing, maintenance repairs and tyres over the duration of the five-year contract, thereby ensuring our vehicles are always fit for purpose.”

Andrew Bain, Chief Executive at Active Stirling, added: “The introduction of a new company fleet will help us achieve our long-term business goals across the Stirling Council area as well as our vision to be a national leader in sport and physical activity including the delivery of high quality opportunities to the Stirling communities.

“We have been delivering sport and physical activity services throughout the Stirling area since 2006 and now that the Ogilvie Group is on board with us it is great to see two local businesses working together to make a positive impact across the whole community.”

New figures indicate that the number of vehicles targeted for catalytic converters has more than doubled from 1,100 incidents to 2,300, as the value of platinum, palladium and rhodium (materials found in the converters) increases.

Aside from the obvious hassle, Bluefin Insurance, which published the data, says that replacing a catalytic converter can be expensive while other parts of the car could require repair due to damaged caused during the converter’s removal.

Business fleets are considered to be at particular risk due to thieves being able to hit a number of cars in one swoop.

A spokesperson for Bluefin said: “Prices for scrap metal have been on a general upward path since late 2008 which, along with the global economic recession, has revived criminal interest.

“It may only take a few seconds for the thief to remove the converter but it can cause major disruptions to a business if several vehicles are targeted, costing a small fortune to repair and halting operations for several days.”

Trucks, pickups and SUVs are thought to be easy targets due to their high stance allowing thieves to slide underneath without having to jack up the vehicle.

Bluefin’s spokesperson added: “Corporate fleets should take precautions to protect their vehicles such as storing them in a locked building or yard where possible. Installing security lighting and cameras will also act as a deterrent to thieves.”

Engraving the vehicle’s registration number onto the converter can help flag-up and trace any stolen parts while parking in well-lit areas or within a fenced area or locked building can also fend off the thieves, Bluefin advises.

A1(M), Junction 57 to 58, County Durham
Slight delays are expected overnight on the A1(M) between Junction 57 and 58 for bridge works. There will lane closures in place with hard shoulder running north and southbound between 8pm and 6am. The works will take place 21 – 23 May.

A1(M), Cornforth, County Durham
Slight delays are expected overnight on the A1(M) at Cornforth for bridge inspection works. There will be one lane open northbound between 8pm and 6am. The works will take place 22 – 23 May.

A1, Birtley Interchange, Gateshead
Slight delays are expected overnight on the A1 at Birtley Interchange for drainage works. There will be one lane open southbound between 8pm and 6am. The works will take place 21 – 24 May.

A1 Fenrother to Low Espley, Northumberland
Slight delays are expected overnight on the A1 between Fenrother and Low Espley for drainage works. There will be traffic signals in place north and southbound between 8pm and 6am. The works will take place 21 to 26 May.

A1 Ellingham, Northumberland
Slight delays are expected on the A1 at Ellingham for construction works. There will be traffic signals in place north and southbound between 7.30am and 5.30pm. The works will take place 15 May – 17 June.

A66 Yarm Interchange, Teesside
Slight delays are expected overnight on the A66 at Yarm Interchange for electrical works. There will be one lane open east and westbound between 8pm and 6am. The works will take place 24 – 26 May.

A66 Little Burdon Roundabout, Darlington, County Durham
Slight delays are expected on the A66 at Little Burdon Roundabout for electrical works. There will be lane closures in place on the roundabout and slip roads between 9.30am and 3.30pm. The works will take place 21 – 23 May.

A66 Bowes Snow Gates to Cumbrian Border, County Durham
Slight delays are expected overnight on the A66 between the Bowes Snow Gates and the Cumbrian Border for survey works. There will be one lane open westbound between 8pm and 6am. The works will take place until 25 May.

The UK’s government is set to become a victim of its own success when it comes to encouraging car makers and drivers to reduce their carbon dioxide output.

By 2029, it looks likely the government, of whichever political hue it will be in 17 years’ time, will face a £13 billion shortfall in revenue from motorists due to reduced income from fuel tax and road tax, more officially known as Vehicle Excise Duty.

The reason is simply cars are becoming ever more efficient. As they travel further than ever before on a gallon of fuel and emit less and less carbon dioxide, the opportunities for the government to tax on at these points is reduced.

This is great news for the British driver, who has been much put-upon in recent years as a seemingly endless source of revenue for governments.

These self-same governments have been the ones pointing an accusatory finger at car drivers, saying we’re responsible for all the world’s ills. On this guilt-induced basis, we’ve stumped up billions more than before and been brow-beaten into thinking we have no moral right to refuse or complain.

Shrinking pot

Okay, so we grumble and sigh every time the Chancellor puts up fuel duty, but we’re so used to it now that it hardly seems worth making a fuss over.

Well, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (ISF), the pot of money is going to be considerably smaller for government to plunder. It won’t disappear altogether, but on current projections there will be £13 billion less raised from drivers than the current £38 billion.

Bear in mind that is just fuel tax and road tax, not the VAT we pay on everything car-related or any other charges we incur through driving. So, you can see why the government is keen to explore other avenues of jemmying money out of the British driver’s pocket.

The ISF’s solution is a ‘compelling’ case for road charging and a radical overhaul of present day fuel taxation.

Few governments ever try anything radical and those that do tend to instigate proceedings at gun point, so we can be glad we live in the United Kingdom on this front. However, action is needed and tackling the currently iniquitous road tax system is a good place to start, followed by fuel tax.

Scrap it

The government would do well to abolish road tax altogether and introduce a system where drivers simply pay per use, based on mileage, route and region.

If you drive only six miles to work, but those six miles are in stop-start urban congestion, you are not using your car efficiently. This means the smug hybrid driver who gets off scot-free when it comes to road tax and London’s Congestion Charge Zone would find themselves paying a far heftier slice of tax for using a car in clogged up roads where they still have a bigger effect than a normal petrol- or diesel-fuelled car on an open road.

Free-flowing roads would incur a much smaller charge, while other roads could have variable pricing in the same way some motorways have variable speed limits. By varying the charge according to peak hours and congestion, it would encourage drivers to use the roads at more cost-effective times or look for more financially appealing routes or forms of transport.

There will always be those who argue they can only use these roads at peak hours. Fair enough, if your work demands this, then a small discount should be offered on producing evidence this is the case.

For many business drivers, this might mean leaving earlier or later to continue using the same roads as now. It might also mean covering fewer miles to make better use of each journey, so one trip might be longer than at present but you’ll make fewer trips overall to reduce the mile count.

The IFS reckons this is the way forward and says drivers in rural areas would pay less to compensate for having to cover larger mileages for essential travel.

This is so much more sensible that a flat rate of road tax, dependent on carbon dioxide emissions that does little to deter people buying the more polluting cars. The bottom line here is that wealthy people can afford to run more polluting cars and pay the attendant road tax. They are not discouraged from running a fuel-guzzling, emissions-expelling car.

In its study, the IFS said: “Introducing a mileage-based taxation system would generate substantial economic gains from reduced congestion, reduce the tax levied on the majority of miles driven, leave many (particularly rural) motorists better off, and provide a stable long-term footing for motoring taxes without necessarily raising net additional revenue from drivers.”

Pay either way

Sounds like a fair and even-handed plan. We’ve seen the result of road charging already in the UK with the M6 toll section of motorway. It’s free-flowing and congestion free as many drivers reckon the added cost of using this road is worth the time-saving.

At the moment, the government says it is looking at all sorts of measures to improve roads, congestion and travel.

Among these plans is an idea to lease existing motorways and sections of road to private firms. These firms would then collect revenue from the motorist as a business. Whether we’d see as much of this money reinvested into maintenance and improvements is not clear.

At least with all roads falling under the responsibility of local and central government, we know who to look to for culpability. We need only look at the mess the railway network is in to realise that private industry rarely, if ever, has the best interests of its consumers at heart when it comes to transport.

Another solution is for roads to be free at the point of use but for the government to pay private firms to run the roads based on how much traffic uses the road. Again, this just seems like too good an opportunity for private business to make easy money rather than improve the lot of drivers.

Whichever way the government decides to jumps, or successive governments decide to jump in another direction, you can guarantee one fact: we’ll be paying for it one way or another.

Alisdair Suttie

With VED-exempt electric and hybrid vehicles expected to become an increasingly frequent sight on Britain’s roads, future governments could face a ‘drought’ in motoring tax income, according to predictions from the RAC Foundation.

The amount of fuel duty revenue collected by the Exchequer currently stands at 1.7% of GDP but a report commissioned by the foundation reckons that could plummet by nearly half to 1.1% by 2029, leaving a £13 billion hole (in today’s money) in the Treasury’s cashpot.

Professor Stephen Glaister, Director of the RAC Foundation, said: “The irony is that while ministers encourage us to buy greener, leaner cars, they are being forced to look at ways of clawing back the money motorists think they will be saving.

“This isn’t scaremongering. The Treasury has already announced a review of VED bands to ensure drivers make a ‘fair contribution’ to the public finances even as cars become more fuel efficient.”

Hole-blower

The Chancellor of the Exchequer would have to raise fuel duty from 58p a litre to 87p to make up the loss, added Professor Glaister.

Alternatively, the Chancellor could introduce new taxes for green forms of energy such as the electricity used in battery powered cars.

“None are appealing,” he added. “The first blows a hole in the Treasury’s budget. The second blows a hole in drivers’ budgets. And the third risks stalling the decarbonisation of road transport.”

Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), believes that two significant problems plague the current system of motoring taxation.

“Petrol taxation does not reflect the fact that the costs I impose on others vary dramatically according to when and where I drive,” he said.

“So many drivers, in rural areas for example, are effectively over-taxed. But some, in congested urban areas, pay a lot less in tax than they would if they were paying for the costs they impose on other road users.

“Second, as cars become more fuel efficient the revenue from petrol tax will fall – eventually to close to nothing if we are to meet out climate change targets. A national system of charging related to mileage and congestion, largely replacing the current system of fuel taxation, would help solve both those problems.”

The Highway Code – first published in April 1931 – is already free to view online but bringing the best-seller to iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch with quizzes and other extras was important, said Transport Secretary Justine Greening.

"With more and more of us using smartphones and other devices, it’s vital that products like the Highway Code adapt to be as accessible as possible,” she commented.

"The app makes it easier for everyone to keep their knowledge up to date and is a great example of how new technology can help to improve road safety.

"The Highway Code has been helping to save lives for more than 80 years and, with innovations like this, I am confident it will do so for many more to come."

This app is the latest technological incarnation of the Highway Code. It can be downloaded as an ebook and there are also Facebook and Twitter accounts offering regular topical reminders.

The Official Highway Code app is available on iTunes for £3.99 now.

GreenRoad

In other app-related news, GreenRoad has released what it calls the fleet industry’s first mobile app designed to give drivers access to key performance data, anytime at anywhere.

Lisa Brown, First UK Bus’ DriveGreen programme champion for the Norfolk region, has the app has proved very easy to use.

“Drivers love it because they can see their score with a quick glance without needing to be sat at a computer,” she said.

“While our drivers aren’t allowed to use phones while they are driving, they find being able to use the app when they’re off duty or when they’ve returned to the depot useful.

“Having this information available easily via a mobile app seems to really help keep drivers engaged and focused on improving their own driving.”

GreenRoad Central mobile app for drivers is available for download today, May 15th, 2012, from the Apple and Android app stores by searching for GreenRoad Central. Drivers must be enrolled with the GreenRoad service.

About half a mile of the route, in both eastbound and westbound directions, between Staxton Main Street and the B1249 further west, will benefit from the project which will focus on repairing potholes and sections of carriageway surface showing significant wear and tear.

The work is due to start on Monday 28 May and will be completed by Friday 8 June. To minimise inconvenience to road users all the work will be done between 8pm and 6am each night.

Although the work will involve some side road closures at Old Malton Road – with clearly-signed diversions in place – the A64 will remain open but at times with drivers led in convoy past roadworks by a contractors’ vehicle.

No work will be done over the Queen’s Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

Highways Agency project manager Steven Wright said, “This is routine maintenance to ensure users of the A64 in this part of North Yorkshire can continue to enjoy safe, smooth and reliable journeys.

“Safety is our top priority and for the safety of road users and roadworkers we encourage all drivers to drive carefully past the works, keeping within the speed limit, and concentrating on the road ahead."

That sentiment is back by leading fleet management companies such as Lex Autolease and Alphabet.

Andrew Mee, Senior Manager Pricing Risk, Lex Autolease said: "We believe the car will be a success, and our residual value forecasts are at a similar level to VW Golf, ahead of the current Audi A3 Sportback, and just behind the new BMW 1 series.

"The V40 is an attractive model which provides an improved driving experience over any previous Volvo. The suspension offers control without feeling overly firm. Refinement levels are good, complemented by a high quality interior with the usual comfortable Volvo seats," he added.

Lex Autolease aren’t the only one to issue praise for the new five-door hatch. Denis Keenan, Managing Director KeeResources said: "The 1.6 D2 115hp engine with CO₂ emissions of 94g has a strong Whole Life Cost argument. The V40 is a desirable car and with very low initial volumes, we predict RVs will exceed its direct competitors by some margin. Even when full volumes come on stream, this is a car that will maintain its position due to its desirability factor.

"What makes the car stand out, though, is its very individual looks and it is a fantastic drive, providing true Volvo comfort with an exceptional chassis. In our terms, it is the most compelling package

currently available in the Premium Lower Medium Sector. Add in a beautiful build quality, obvious in every aspect of the V40, and the car feels a full rung above the majority of its peers."

Volvo’s new V40 hatchback will cost from £19,745 when it arrives in showrooms from September. The five seat, five door model will feature economy as strong as 78.5mpg and emissions as low as 94g/km CO2, making it an attractive proposition to cost-conscious fleets and business car drivers.

Aimed squarely and BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 territory, the new premium hatchback, will also benefit from Volvo’s typical safety focus; becoming the first in the world to feature a pedestrian airbag. The model is also the only one in its class to fit City Safety as standard and offer Pedestrian Detection, effective at speeds of up to 22mph.

Company car users will benefit from strong Benefit In Kind (BIK) figures, with the the lowest emission V40 D2 variant costing £43 and £85 for 20% and 40% tax payers respectively; beating the BMW 116d ED (£45 and £90) and the Audi A3 1.6 TDI (£48 and £97). It undercuts both on price too, with its BMW and Audi rivals both costing over £20,000. The luxury hatchback will be available in ES, SE and SE LUX trim with Bluetooth fitted as standard across the range

Four lanes in each direction were recently opened to traffic and the lifting of the speed restriction today means national speed limits now apply.

A similar speed restriction on the motorway between junctions 27 and 30, in Essex, is due to be removed in the next few days.

The two schemes to add an additional lane to both sections of the motorway are delivering much needed extra capacity on one of Europe’s busiest motorways. Road users will benefit from reduced congestion, improved journey time reliability and safety.

The main construction work on both schemes is now complete and both are on schedule for final completion ahead of the London 2012 Games.

As the final work is carried out, there may be occasional lane closures.