BVRLA News
www.bvrla.co.uk April/May 2012
The newsletter of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association
New faces, new challenges The BVRLA received a major boost this Spring with an influx of talent from across the rental and leasing industry. It has welcomed a number of new faces to the BVRLA Committee of Management, in effect its board of directors, which is responsible for strategic direction and ensuring that the association is managed on a sound financial basis. Long-standing committee member Peter Cakebread, managing director of Marshall Leasing, has agreed to become vicechairman of the association. As such, he will take over as BVRLA chairman when Neil Cunningham steps down in May 2013. Also representing the leasing sector on the committee will be Richard Schooling, chief executive of Alphabet, and Bart Beckers, managing director of Arval. Rental members will have a new voice in the form of Kaye Ceille, the recently appointed managing director of Avis Budget UK. Andrew Morley, sales and marketing director of Prohire, will be ensuring that commercial vehicle issues are addressed by the Committee of Management, in his position as the newly appointed chairman of the BVRLA Commercial Vehicle Committee. At the same time, the committee said goodbye to vice chairman (and former BVRLA chairman) Kevin McNally of LeasePlan, and to Ian Tilbrook of Alphabet (previously ING Car Lease). “Kevin helped successfully steer the association through the height of the financial crisis and some immensely challenging discussions with major fleet vehicle manufacturers,” said BVRLA chief executive John Lewis. “We were ably assisted by Ian, who has been one of the committee’s most active
participants during his stint. We must also thank former Avis Budget UK managing director Kevin Bradshaw and Elliot Lennick of MAN Financial Services, who stepped down during the year. Elsewhere, the BVRLA’s member committees have new vice-chairs. These are: Commercial Vehicle Committee Victoria Hudson Managing director, Eurohire Vehicle Rentals Rental Committee Ian Feast Operations director, Avis Budget UK Leasing and Fleet Management Committee Keith Allen Managing director, ALD Leasing Broker Committee Paul Huxford Managing director, PHVC “It is great to welcome these new faces because we certainly have some new challenges for them to focus on,” said Lewis. “Having analysed the measures announced in the recent Budget, we can clearly see that the government has launched a tax attack on the vehicle rental and leasing sector. “We face some hefty increases to company car tax and capital allowance thresholds, but these are well signposted and our industry will do its bit to lower its carbon footprint and help its customers optimise their tax position. “But we must fight the government’s attempts to take more revenue from leasing just because the industry does such a good job in holding costs down.” n Budget follow-up on page 3
In this issue Lorry road user charge: who will it hit? DfT plans could leave hauliers running over 50 trucks sharing a £2m annual bill for extra vehicle excise duty page 4 On your marks, London. Get set… go! With the Olympics almost here, east London-based Adrian Bewley of Enterprise Rent-A-Car explains how he is preparing for the Games page 5 Committee catch-up BVRLA committee chairmen explain what is high on their agendas at the moment page 8 Bring it on! Jaguar Land Rover is looking to make big inroads into the executive fleet market. UK managing director Jeremy Hicks explains how they’ll do it page 9 ‘Problem renter’ data free to members RISC, the BVRLA’s ‘problem renter’ database, will be provided free to all rental members from 2013 page 10
— Promoting responsible road transport since 1967 —
from the BVRLA Do you want a cost-effective way to offer driver licence checking services to your clients? The BVRLA’s new Driver Licence Check service, exclusive to members, is flexible and low-cost, allowing you to provide extra value for your customers and generate additional revenue for yourselves. It can also help you meet your duty of care responsibilities for your own drivers. Our verification system, based on a three-year driver consent mandate, entitles us to access DVLA driver records. You decide on the frequency of that check. The service is fully compliant with the requirements of the DVLA and the Data Protection Act, providing you with clear, concise and meaningful reports. Sign up for a trial today!
Contact Nora Leggett nora@bvrla.co.uk 01494 545713
BVRLA pledges to fight Comment government ‘tax attack’ In the same week that England coach Roy Hodgson selected his squad for the Euro 2012 football championships, the BVRLA announced its own revised line-up of industry representatives. Our team may not be able to tackle like Terry, bend it like Beckham or run like Rooney, but you will struggle to find a group of people with more business experience and knowledge of the vehicle rental and leasing industry. Their advice and guidance will help steer your association through some major challenges in the coming months as we tackle rising insurance premiums, bring on potential new funders and help the industry run the gauntlet of some unpleasant changes to the tax regime.
Toby Poston Editor Toby Poston, toby@bvrla.co.uk 01494 545700 Production Manager Steven Prizeman, steven@bvrla.co.uk 01494 545710 Advertising Nora Leggett, nora@bvrla.co.uk 01494 545713 © Copyright BVRLA 2012 BVRLA News articles may be used copyright free by members provided that an acknowledgement is given.
BVRLA River Lodge, Badminton Court Amersham Buckinghamshire HP7 0DD T 01494 434747 F 01494 434499 E info@bvrla.co.uk W www.bvrla.co.uk Honorary Life President Freddie Aldous Chairman Neil Cunningham Vice Chairman Peter Cakebread Honorary Treasurer Brian Back Chief Executive John Lewis
BVRLA News | April/May 2012
The BVRLA says it is determined to help the vehicle rental and leasing industry deal with the aggressive tax measures announced by the government in its recent Budget. Further analysis and discussions with the Treasury have revealed the full impact for the sector:
❱ The government hopes to earn an
extra £2bn from company car tax in the four years from April 2013.
❱ It also wants to reduce the number
of business cars eligible for either 100% first-year or standard capital allowances by nearly one million in the same period
“The changes due in 2013 and beyond amount to a government tax attack on our industry,” said BVRLA chief executive John Lewis. “I am confident that BVRLA members will work with manufacturers and customers during this period to lower fleet emissions and ensure that the Treasury’s revenue forecasts come up well short.” Meanwhile, the BVRLA intends to mount a strong campaign on what it sees as government discrimination against the leasing and rental industry. In particular, the association will seek to reverse the decision to remove the 100% first-year capital allowances available on low-emission vehicles
from leased cars. The Treasury claims this is an anti-tax avoidance measure that will prevent foreign lessees from taking advantage of the allowances, but the BVRLA has yet to hear of a single example of this happening with vehicles purchased in the UK. “This measure will mean higher lease rates for ultra-low emission cars, particularly electric and hybrid vehicles, which are unduly penalised by having high list prices,” said Lewis. The BVRLA will also be arguing against the continuing application of the Lease Rental Restriction, which prevents companies deducting the full cost of leasing or renting certain cars from their taxable profits. The association argues that this is a double emission tax on lease funding. “The government has promised to tackle the deficit, so it can justify setting higher taxes,” said Lewis. “But it also promised to make taxes fairer, and these clearly aren’t.” n The BVRLA now intends to work with members to build a strong case to take to government. For details, contact legal and policy director Jay Parmar. Contact Jay Parmar, jay@bvrla.co.uk 01494 545706
Safety forum slashes subs for members The Fleet Safety Forum is offering BVRLA members a 50% discount on their first year’s subscription. The forum, a not-for-profit initiative by Brake, the road safety charity, aims to help managers improve road safety for at-work drivers. New BVRLA subscribers who sign up before 30 September 2012 will pay just £77.50 + VAT to access benefits including: a regular e-bulletin covering road safety research and initiatives; access to more than 50 advice sheets;
discounted delegate places at Brake events; and a free delegate place at Brake’s Pledge training for delivering road safety instruction. The forum believes that better road safety can help companies lower their insurance premiums, reduce vehicle repairs, lose less employee time, and improve their reputations. n To subscribe to the Fleet Safety Forum at the discounted rate, email forum@ brake.org.uk quoting ‘BVRLA12’. www.fleetsafetyforum.org 3
Lorry road user charge: did DfT do its sums? The BVRLA is urging the government to provide details of how it will ensure that BVRLA members running more than 50 trucks are not left out of pocket by its planned lorry road user charge.
But the BVRLA is concerned that fleets currently benefiting from reduced pollution certificates (RPCs), which cut up to £500 a vehicle from annual VED, may lose out. DfT plans to replace RPCs with a new grant could fall foul of EU laws and would exclude operators with fleets of more than 50 RPC-eligible vehicles. The BVRLA estimates that this could result in members running more than 50 trucks collectively paying up to £2m more in annual vehicle excise duty.
The Department for Transport (DfT) wants to level the playing field for UK and foreign hauliers by introducing a charge of up to £10 a day for lorries of 12 tonnes and over. If implemented as planned, UK vehicle owners would pay the charge as part of their annual vehicle excise duty (VED) transaction. The government plans to offset this by reducing VED rates.
Responding to the BVRLA’s concerns, Roads Minister Mike Penning said that he was “confident we can supply fleets with a grant which will mean they will
continue to receive the same value benefit provided by RPCs”. BVRLA chief executive John Lewis welcomed the clarification, but also called for more detail. “We would prefer to be proved wrong, but we need more information about how the proposed grant will work. We would like confirmation that it will be available for all those affected by higher road-tax bills and that it will not involve a mountain of paperwork.” n The BVRLA’s comments on the lorry road user charge can be read here.
DVLA reforms mean members will save millions The vehicle rental and leasing industry is set to save millions in reduced administration costs from 2013 thanks to measures outlined in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s latest business plan.
document the DVLA will save £6m a year and its members will save £3m. By extending the existing electronic relicensing scheme to vehicles over three years old and all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes the DVLA will save £4m and BVRLA members will also save £4m. Both these measures are set to be implemented by June next year.
In it the DVLA sets out deadlines for reducing the paperwork burden on the fleet industry by introducing more electronic communications for registration documents and licensing.
“The BVRLA has spent years lobbying the DVLA in face-to-face meetings, consultation responses and as part of the Red Tape Challenge, so it is great that we finally have some results,” said BVRLA chief executive John Lewis.
By December 2013 the DVLA will also remove the need for most paper notifications, allowing BVRLA members to communicate changes to their fleets electronically – saving itself £7m and the members £10m.
The BVRLA estimates that by providing an electronic data file instead of a paper vehicle registration
The BVRLA will work with the agency on its plans to implement the changes that have been announced and to try and ensure that the new systems deliver the projected cost and time savings for members. n DVLA Business Plan 2012-13 can be downloaded here.
Revamped directory points customers at members 01/05/2012 16:14
Looking to hire a car or van?
The BVRLA has launched a new searchable online directory of its car and van rental members so that businesses and consumers can find reputable operators easily. Accessible from the BVRLA homepage, the directory enables users to search for cars or vans by company name, town, postcode or airport.
Looking to hire a car or van?
Use a BVRLA member and rent with confidence
Photo: Emjay Smith/ Shutterstock.com
What is the BVRLA?
The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) is the trade body for the vehicle rental industry. Our members provide short-term, self-drive hire services to businesses and consumers, operating a fleet of around 275,000 vehicles.
Search the BVRLA Member Directory by selecting car or van rental and then entering data in one or more of the fields below. Alternatively, select an airport to search on.
The directory page also includes information about the BVRLA, including an online Guide to Renting a Car, a downloadable Code of Conduct and details of the association’s conciliation service. 4
Car Rental
Car or Van Rental: Town: Company Name:
The association regulates the industry through a series of quality assurance inspections and a mandatory code of conduct. If you see the BVRLA logo displayed in a rental branch or on a leaflet or website, it should provide a guarantee that you will receive the highest levels of service. Should you have a complaint against one of our members that you are unable to resolve with them, the BVRLA runs a free conciliation service that can help settle any dispute.
“One of the key challenges identified from our work with consumer groups and car rental members is how to provide customers with better sources of information,” said BVRLA chief executive John Lewis. “Hopefully, this new directory will provide a trustworthy alternative to the often misleading price-based results served up by price-comparison sites and rental brokers.” n
For more details go to www.bvrla.co.uk
Post Code: or An Airport:
None Search
For the best rental experience – read this guide.
This code sets out the standards of service you should expect from a BVRLAaccredited rental company.
British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association Ltd 01494 434747 Fax: 01494 434499 Email: info@bvrla.co.uk River Lodge, Badminton Court, Amersham, Bucks HP7 0DD Tel: Company Registration Number: 924401
The BVRLA Member Directory can be found at www.carhire.bvrla.co.uk or accessed via the BVRLA homepage: www.bvrla.co.uk BVRLA News | April/May 2012
On your marks, London. Get set… go!
Tell us a bit about your location Our Enterprise branch is at Bow Road, half a mile from the Olympic site. On any given day we will have up to 200 vehicles of all makes and sizes held at this branch for rental. At peak times we have up to 10 employees here, including valeters who turn the vehicles around for renting. It’s a big, bustling operation that is a lot of fun to work at. What has the build-up to the Games been like? Good for business? We’ve definitely been in the spotlight in these last few months. Because we rent vehicles for so many different markets our business has been quite stable, with only the normal fluctuations that you expect around the winter period and bank holidays. How are you preparing for the Olympics and Paralympics? TfL [Transport for London] has been excellent at communicating likely changes which could affect our
Photo: London 2012
With the London Olympics almost upon us, BVRLA News spoke to Adrian Bewley, Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s business rental sales manager, London and South East region, about how he expects the Games to affect business.
The Olympic stadium, Stratford: the East End is preparing for a host of new visitors
operations: road closures and issues with public transport, for example. The Bow Road is an Olympic designated highway. We’re expecting one million extra people to walk past this location, which is a huge opportunity for us in terms of branding and business but will affect how we work. We’ve created a central communications hub for the whole company where we publish all information relating to the Olympics. It’s all behind the scenes though – it’s about preparation, planning and strategy. We anticipate the main requirement will be to stay flexible so that we can adapt as our customers’ needs change.
Do you think it will have any longterm benefits for business? It would be hard to imagine how being at the centre of one of the most highprofile sporting events in the world wouldn’t have a long-term impact on our business. The fact we have another branch at Barking, which is also within the Olympic catchment area, means we get the opportunity for an unequalled level of exposure. Our belief has always been that if we serve our customers well they will come back to us in the future. This will be an opportunity for us to provide a service to a lot of people who may not otherwise have used us. That’s a huge opportunity in itself. n
Industry says farewell to United’s Roger Freeman Many BVRLA members and others across the industry will have been saddened by the recent death of Roger Freeman. The first employee of United Rental Group at its inception in 1991, Roger is credited as being the driving force behind its success over 21 years. Over that period the network of independent rental companies that have become licensees of United Rental System has grown from zero to over 430 companies at more than 500 locations. In 2005 Roger became managing director of both Sixt rent a car and United Rental Group in the UK, BVRLA News | April/May 2012
On his retirement in December 2011, at a dinner marking the conclusion of Sixt’s annual convention in Munich, Roger was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Mr and Mrs Sixt. This was a very special moment for him and he was immensely proud that his achievements were acknowledged in front of so many of the Sixt family from around the world. Roger Freeman: accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award from Eric Sixt in 2011
developing a ‘group’ working ethic across the company and harnessing the many synergies between both businesses.
Roger leaves behind his wife Josey, daughter Sarah and very many sad friends and colleagues in United, Sixt and associated businesses. Ian Lawrence, Sixt UK’s managing director, described him as “a great colleague, friend and inspiration to many”. n 5
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BVRLA hosts debate on key EV issues Sustainable transport came to the home of British motor racing in April as the BVRLA took part in the EV & Low CO2 Fleet Show 2012 at Silverstone.
ownership cost increase. There are a number of operations where using electric vehicles works – and they’re not all in London. It is mainly a backto-base function where there is the potential for overnight or lunchtime recharging.
Organised by Fleet World, the event attracted 400 fleet managers and executives from the leasing and rental industry.
“Some companies are willing to take a 5% increase in operating costs for the improved environmental performance.”
BVRLA chief executive John Lewis chaired a panel of experts who addressed some of the key issues:
Alan McCleave Business Development Director, Venson “The public sector is genuinely committed to making the step change to ultra-low CO2 vehicles, driven by mandate and the need to find more cost-effective and sustainable solutions. This has a knock-on effect as the public sector then mandates similar requirements from its private contractors.” n
Rob Anderson Programme Manager, Cenex “From our studies we’ve found that it’s all about the utilisation of the vehicle and the ‘throughput’ of the fuel. It’s about balancing the increased ownership cost by increasing vehicle utilisation to ensure that the fuel savings match (or better) the
SMMT: ‘Fleets bring down average CO2 emissions’
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ New Car CO2 Report 2012, sales-weighted average new car CO2 emissions fell to 138.1g/km in 2011, down 4.2% on the 144.2g/km average for 2010. Fleet buyers, driven by a desire to reduce their emissions and lower their tax bill, helped pull down this figure with average new vehicle emissions of 137.1g/km – 1.7% below the private buyer average of 139.5g/km. All new car buyers are benefiting from an increased choice of low-carbon cars, with 24% of the 7,600 model variants available in 2011 having CO2 emissions of 130g/km or less. There were six pure electric vehicles on the market in 2011, responsible for 1,098 registrations. The shift to diesel has played a large role in reducing emissions, particularly BVRLA News | April/May 2012
for the larger cars in the upper medium, executive, 4x4 and MPV segments. The SMMT estimates that the average CO2 emission of cars in use in the UK was 168.4g/km in 2011. n
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ New Car CO2 Report 2012 can be downloaded here. Further information can be found on the SMMT website: www.smmt.co.uk
SMMT market segments, average new car CO2 performance (g/km) and market share 2011 CO2
% change since 2010
Mini
107.8
-5.6%
0
2.2%
Supermini
124.6
-2.4%
87
36.3%
Lower Medium
132.5
-5.7%
0
25.2%
Upper Medium
139.3
-4.3%
27
13.2%
Executive
153.4
-9.5%
117
5.7%
Luxury
221.8
-5.3%
174
0.4%
Specialist Sports
177.7
-7.0%
0
2.3%
Dual Purpose 4x4
184.2
-6.2%
115
8.6%
MPV
150.2
-5.9%
107
6.2%
Average / Total
138.1
-4.2%
Segment
Lowest emitter
Market share 2011
Source: SMMT
An increased proportion of fleet registrations helped pull average new car CO2 emissions below 140g/km for the first time last year.
100%
7
Committee catch-up The BVRLA’s member committees are the association’s ‘Brains Trust’. Together they form a group of hugely experienced behind-the-scenes advisers who help shape policy, communications, products and services. They also play a major role in setting and maintaining the industry’s standards of self-regulation. Meeting three or four times a year, each committee is led by a chairman and vice chair and contains a representative group of members from a wide cross-section of leasing, leasing broker, commercial vehicle and rental members. The following items are currently high on their agendas:
Leasing and Fleet Management Committee
Rental Committee
❱ Analysing the impact of the recent Budget on the members, customers and business motorists.
❱ Raising standards across the rental sector – making customer information more accessible, improving relations with consumer organisations and reviewing any lessons learnt from the association’s car rental quality assurance programme.
❱ Overseeing the development of an electronic system for notifying when a vehicle has a safety recall. ❱ Working with the DVLA to implement changes aimed at reducing bureaucracy and administration costs. “The work of the committee is as broad as ever, with topics ranging from reducing government bureaucracy to harmonising the safety recall process,” says committee chairman Simon Oliphant, the chief executive of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions. “The committee has welcomed some new faces and we have good representation from the independent, bank and manufacturer sectors, which will help ensure that we address issues faced by the wider membership. With continuing tough times ahead, working together with common purpose will help us all get through them.”
Commercial Vehicle Committee ❱ To ensure that there is a balanced focus on LCV and HGV issues. ❱ To formulate and promote best practice in areas including health and safety, vehicle handovers and training. ❱ To engage with industry suppliers on issues such as market awareness, emissions, new technology and alternative fuels. ❱ To share knowledge with other areas of the BVRLA membership and ensure that rental and contract hire is promoted as a truly viable alternative to outright purchase. New committee chairman Andrew Morley, sales director of Prohire, says: “We are changing the focus of the committee to ensure that we cover both light and heavy commercial vehicles and spend more time discussing business issues – how we can better promote rental and leasing, in particular. “We would like to undertake some research to better position the sector and ensure that we are working in the interests of all commercial vehicle members. There is also more work to do in sharing best practice and demonstrating the benefits of BVRLA membership.”
❱ Enhancing the profile of car rental across central and local government to position car rental as part of the ‘integrated transport’ solution. ❱ Exploring the viability of bringing rental brokers closer to the industry by creating a new membership category. ❱ Reviewing industry training requirements. “Providing a good customer experience is vital to our sector, so we have spent a lot of time developing best-practice guidance for consumers and getting it acknowledged by members and consumer groups,” says committee chair Alison Chadwick, director of regional operations at Thrifty Car Rental. “We also need to develop a more robust approach to the growing problem of fraud. The BVRLA’s decision to provide free access to RISC [see page 10] is a major step towards creating a strong security community among rental members. It will also help us contain the problem of rising insurance premiums.”
Leasing Broker Committee ❱ Improving the transparency of customer information, including details of product selected, funding provider and vehicle return standards. ❱ How to promote the benefits of BVRLA membership to other leasing brokers. ❱ Reviewing and strengthening the leasing broker code of conduct. “Raising standards of customer service and promoting the good work of the leasing broker sector to motor manufacturers and funders is at the heart of what we do,” says committee chairman Martin Brown, managing director of Fleet Alliance. “I am particularly proud of the work we have done to improve the clarity of contract information, but I would like to see the committee have more interaction with other leasing broker members. Despite some tough trading conditions, 2011 was a good year for the fleet sector and I am optimistic that 2012 will continue in a similar vein.” For more about the committees, see www.bvrla.co.uk
8
BVRLA News | April/May 2012
Photo: Richard Newton courtesy of Newspress
Bring it on!
Key fleet products Range Rover Evoque This new compact SUV has been a massive hit and the sub-£30,000, two-wheel drive, diesel-engine model is JLR’s only vehicle with sub-130g/km CO2 emissions. Jaguar XF 2.2 D With an eight-speed automatic transmission and Stop-Start, Jaguar’s entry-level diesel executive saloon has fleet friendly emissions of 149g/km CO2. Jaguar XF Sportbrake Due in November 2012, an estate version of the diesel XF will have the same emissions and appeal to company car drivers who need more space.
Jaguar 2011 UK Sales
Land Rover 2011 UK Sales
Total: 13,787 cars
Total: 43,688 vehicles
Leasing/Contract Hire: 2,193 (16%) Daily Rental: 586 (4%) Fleet (other): 376 (3%)
BVRLA News | April/May 2012
Fleet/Business sales: circa 10-11,000 (25%)
9
‘Insight and detail’ for fleet consultants Inchcape’s Byron Mitchell was the top-performing participant in the BVRLA’s Fleet Consultant Development Programme in 2011. Here he tells BVRLA News about his reasons for taking the course and how it has helped his career. What is your role at Inchcape Fleet Solutions? To deliver an industry-leading experience with a measurable focus on strategy, value and service delivery. What are your career ambitions? Every job role I have had in the last 10 years has provided me with experience and exposure to different aspects of the fleet management and contract hire industry. Short term, I see the progression of my career to naturally lead me into a people management role and developing their skill set relative to the core job requirements. Eventually I would like to move into a senior role as a director within the leasing industry. Why did you come on the course? I wanted an industry-recognised qualification. Although I have experience of service delivery to a diverse client base by both products taken, size and industry, I have never been the ‘fleet manager’ within an organisation with an outsourced management partner.
enthusiastically and at every opportunity work-based discussions and a voicing forum which allowed all participants to share experiences and their own knowledge, which added value to the course itself.
Byron Mitchell
The BVRLA course covers: • Understanding the role and responsibilities of fleet management • Fleet management – finance • Fleet management – legislation • The impact of company culture, market segmentation and location • Wider concerns, eg environment • Principles of asset and risk management • Key elements of fleet policy • Fleet policy: typical weaknesses/ opportunities to influence • Future direction and focus for vehicle fleets • Overview of the new vehicle marketplace What did you expect? I expected to be spoken at with endless notes to be taken, but the course itself was delivered
Did it deliver? How? The course provided insight and detail of the fleet management spectrum and allowed me to look at different scenarios from a fleet manager perspective, which allowed me to explore considerations and alternative practices that will add value to the client and value to the overall relationship. Has it changed how you think about the industry / your role? Yes. I am more aware of the potential reason behind a client request and also have further confidence and knowledge to approach a situation from an alternative perspective. The BVRLA course has and will continue to be part of my everyday role when interacting with clients. n For further information about the Fleet Consultant Development Programme see page 11 or the BVRLA website. To book a place, call member services sales administrator Fran Hampson. Contact Fran Hampson, fran@bvrla.co.uk 01494 545703
‘Problem renter’ database will be free to members RISC, the BVRLA’s ‘problem renter’ database, will be provided free to all rental members from 2013. The move is intended to enlarge the user community of BVRLA members who share details of renters known to present a risk. RISC data can be updated by subscribers, and is available to them, 24 hours a day. Use of RISC, available exclusively to BVRLA members, enables rental companies to lower their risk profile when obtaining insurance cover. Importantly, RISC is the only safe, 10
secure, Data Protection Act-compliant way to share renters’ details.
allowing an unauthorised person to drive the vehicle
RISC currently has 41 subscribers who added 1,613 ‘problem renter’ customers (individuals and companies) to the system in 2011. Searches were up 32% in the same period, with users making nearly 200,000 inquiries, producing 1,260 positive matches – up 52% on 2010.
“The bigger RISC gets, the more useful it becomes for rental members,” said the BVRLA’s head of member services, Nora Leggett. “Most of the UK’s major rental operators are enthusiastic users of RISC and have integrated it with their point of sale systems.” n
The five most reported incidents were failing to return a vehicle on time, not looking after a vehicle, damage to a vehicle, vehicle reported stolen and
To learn more contact Nora Leggett. Contact Nora Leggett, nora@bvrla.co.uk 01494 545713 BVRLA News | April/May 2012
Don’t let customers take your cars abroad without a VE103 With the busy summer holiday period just around the corner, the BVRLA is concerned that members may be allowing vehicles to go abroad without the necessary documentation – most importantly the Vehicle on Hire Certificate (VE103). Drivers travelling in Europe are legally obliged to carry their vehicle’s registration document (V5C) unless driving a rented or leased vehicle. For these the Vehicle on Hire Certificate is the only acceptable substitute. The consequences for the driver of a hire vehicle found without a VE103 vary according to the country in which they were stopped, the law enforcement agency concerned and even the time of day.
The driver could be fined or the vehicle impounded. Without a VE103 both the customer and the company that provided the vehicle are vulnerable to a potentially major inconvenience. n Further information about the function of the VE103 and an order form can be found on the BVRLA website. Copies can also be purchased from member services administrator Rob Burford. Guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK can also be found on the Directgov website. Contact Rob Burford, robert@bvrla.co.uk 01494 545702
Training Fleet Consultant Development Programme
12-13 September & 7-8 November Amersham Our four-day course, delivered in two two-day modules, is aimed at individuals who regularly discuss fleet issues and delivering fleet solutions, with their customers. Attendees will come away confident that the information learnt can be used in their job when advising clients of the best options available to them. The course covers an overview of the new vehicle marketplace – trends in private, business and fleet registrations, including light commercial vehicles. We also cover the market shares of the different methods of acquisition, the organisations and initiatives that drive development of the marketplace, and funding methods. For a participant’s view of the course, see the article on page 10.
Selling Contract Hire
BVRLA Events Selling Contract Hire Course
Birmingham
Technical & Operational Management Forum Venue to be confirmed
4-5 July 5 July
Residual Value & Remarketing Forum
Heritage Motor Centre
12 July
BVRLA Golf Day
Frilford Heath Golf Club
6 Sept
Insurance Seminar
Venue to be confirmed
18 Sept
BVRLA Industry Conference
Heritage Motor Centre
29 Nov
For enquiries about BVRLA forums, seminars and conferences, and to book places: contact member services sales administrator Fran Hampson: fran@bvrla.co.uk, 01494 545703 For enquiries about the BVRLA Golf Day and Annual Dinner, and to book places: contact membership administrator June Dyer: june@bvrla.co.uk, 01494 545714 Full details of all BVRLA events can be found on the association’s website: www.bvrla.co.uk
4-5 July, Birmingham Aimed at sales and business development professionals, attendees will achieve a greater understanding of the benefits of contract hire and other methods of financing vehicles for clients. Learning will be through two days of interactive classroom training, with the opportunity for group and role play activities for attendees. For further information on BVRLA courses see www.bvrla.co.uk To book places, contact: Fran Hampson, fran@bvrla.co.uk 01494 545703
New members Associate
Rental Central Vehicle Rental Ltd Crash Services Ltd
(Glasgow)
(Newry & Belfast)
Drivetime Vehicle Rental
(Aylesbury)
Your Motorhome Ltd
(Tiverton)
Barclays
Barclays has always been a supporter of the contract hire sector and currently has relationships with around 60% of independent providers through its Corporate Banking arm. From cars to specialist commercial vehicles we work with a range of large businesses and multinational corporations to solve their fleet funding needs. For more information or to speak to Barclays about fleet funding, please contact Philip Bull, director and head of Special Fleet Finance on 0777 554 1718 or email philip.bull@barclays.com www.barclays.com
BVRLA News | April/May 2012
11
Towergate launch GoHire, the ‘pay as you go’ insurance solution In partnership with Prohire, Towergate launch GoHire the ‘pay as you go’ insurance solution that has been developed and tailored to meet the needs of vehicle rental operators. Towergate Insurance is the largest independently owned insurance intermediary in Europe. Towergate Insurance in Telford has over 30 years experience in the transportation sector and recognises the need to be innovative and market leading.
Call us today on 0844 892 6275 Or email GoHire@towergate.co.uk Towergate Insurance is a trading name of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited. Prohire Software Systems Limited is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited. Registered Address: Towergate House, Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3EN. Registered in England No. 4043759. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Calls may be recorded.