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Archive for April, 2010

Avis survey shows Brits are looking for more fulfilling holidays

Friday, April 30th, 2010

A survey carried out by Avis Europe has shown that British travellers going on holiday this year are keen to seek out a package which features more than just one activity. Last year, the world’s economic problems meant that many Brits opted to spend their summer holidaying in the UK. The forecast of a barbeque summer also made the idea more attractive, until the rains set in.

Many predicted that the ‘staycation’ would be a popular choice again this year. However, an increasing confidence in the economy seems to be tempting Brits abroad once more. According to the Avis Europe survey, almost a fifth of UK citizens are looking for some sort of sporting or adventure holiday. Of those polled, 13 per cent also said that they would be seeking out a trip which revolved around a cultural or educational theme.

Head of Marketing for Avis UK, Nick Mountfield, said that city breaks and holidays by the beach were still extremely popular. However, he said that there was definitely an emerging trend for holidays which involved a number of activities, the chance to take in more than one location and the desire to get involved in more fulfilling pastimes whilst out of the office.

Mountfield said that there was a definite shift this year to people wanting to get away and explore other countries. He added that this was probably down to the fact that the world’s economies don’t look quite as bleak as they did this time last year.

The Avis Europe survey also showed that independent travel was the favourite choice for the majority of respondents, with holidaymakers reporting a wish to have more freedom and choice when they travel.

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Nurses call for zero tolerance on drink driving

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Delegates gathered in Bournemouth for the annual conference of the Royal College of Nursing have been debating the possibility of reducing Britain’s drink drive limit to zero. Currently, the UK has one of the highest drink drive levels in Europe.

At the moment, a person is allowed to get behind the wheel of a car with 80mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. Many other European countries, including Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Romania have already imposed a limit of zero.

Many of the nurses who got up to speak at the conference talked about the carnage they had seen as the result of people getting behind the wheel after having consumed alcohol. One of the delegates, an emergency care nurse called Andrew Fraser, said that it would be unusual for somebody to turn up to the office having consumed one or two pints of beer, and that the same attitude needed to be taken with those who had a drink before driving.

Some speakers, however, said that a policy of zero alcohol would have its problems. They pointed out that somebody who had merely eaten a trifle or who had rinsed with mouthwash would have traces of alcohol on their breath.

President of the Royal College of Physicians and Alcohol Health Alliance chairman Professor Ian Gilmore said that he applauded the nurses for opening up the zero tolerance debate. He too agreed there might be problems with making the limit absolute zero, but added that he would like to see zero tolerance for younger drivers and the limit for older drivers brought down to 50mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood.

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Sixt causes a stir with new ad campaign featuring French President

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Car hire company, Sixt, has caused a sensation in France by producing an advertising campaign which deliberately mocks the height of the country’s President, Nicholas Sarkozy. The posters are designed to persuade the rental firm’s customers to rent a Citroen C3 hatchback, which is a small car, by saying that people should follow the example of Mr Sarkozy’s wife, Madame Bruni, and get their hands on a small French model.

If Sixt finds itself in hot water over using the couple’s image in its new campaign, it will not be the first company to have done so. In 2009, budget airline Ryanair was sued for using an image of the diminutive Sarkozy and his 5ft 10in wife, with a caption suggesting that if Carla Bruni used the airline, she would be able to have her whole family join her for her wedding. Ryanair was ordered to pay £50,000.

Pardon, the French clothing firm, was also sued for using a nude image of France’s first lady on a bag, with a slogan suggesting that Mr Sarkozy really should have bought some Pardon clothes for her.

The height difference between the former Italian supermodel and her husband is a constant source of amusement for the press. She is often featured wearing shoes with flat soles when appearing next to her husband, whereas he tends to favour shoes with a bit of lift in them.

President of Sixt, France, Jean-Philippe Doyen, shrugged off the controversial aspect of the new ads by saying that they were simply meant as a bit of fun. He said that the car rental business needed a bit of humour injected into it after its recent difficulties.

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Van drivers top poll of rudest motorists

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Not-so-shocking results of a new survey suggest that of all the motorists on the UK’s roads, van drivers are considered the rudest. The survey was commissioned by website VanInsurance, and suggested that van drivers were seen as the most inconsiderate drivers using the country’s roads.

Among the numerous complaints made about those behind the wheel of a van was the fact that they often indulged in tailgating, pulling out in front of other drivers without any warning and were prone to cutting other motorists up.

Yet it was not just the van driver’s inability to maneuver a vehicle in the correct manner which distressed respondents to the survey, it was also their manners. A lack of courtesy was one of the reasons van driver’s scored so poorly on the poll, as well as their offensive gesticulating and tendency to use colourful language.

A lack of courtesy was another reason for the 1,500 people polled in the survey to condemn van drivers. Those surveyed said that they did not approve of the lack of thanks van drivers were prepared to give when other motorists displayed courtesy. They were also vilified for their inability to return a kindness such allowing others into a traffic cue.

Most maligned after the white van man, was the taxi driver, followed by young people, then old people, then lorry drivers. Lee Grandin, managing director of VanInsurance, said that rudeness was never very nice, especially when encountered by people who are trying to concentrate on driving. He said that in some cases it could escalate to road rage, which was not good news for anyone.

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Hertz to acquire Dollar Thrifty brand

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Car rental firms Hertz and Dollar Thrifty have signed an agreement to merge Dollar into the Hertz brand. Hertz will purchase Dollar Thrifty with a combination of cash and common stock at the price of $41.00 per share.

Chairman and chief executive officer at Hertz, Mark P Frissora, said that acquiring the $1.6 billion business was a strategic fit which would benefit both car hire firms. He said that by combining Dollar Thrifty’s more than 1,550 locations around the world with the Hertz global network, customers would be able to choose from an expanded range of rental options.

Frissora said that customers would now be able to access car hire at around 9,800 locations. He went on to point out that because Dollar Thrifty had such a global presence, the firms would now be able to increase their markets across Europe and beyond.

Frissora also said that by teaming up with Dollar Thrifty, Hertz would be better able to challenge other multi-brand car hire firms. He said that both companies would be able to operate at lower costs and that Hertz had already identified $180 million of synergies in areas such as IT, fleet and procurement.

Speaking about the announcement, Dollar Thrifty’s president and chief executive officer, Scott L Thompson, said that by joining with a larger company like Hertz, Dollar Thrifty would now be able to access better technology and more resources with which to expand the value of its leisure brand.

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Hertz appoints Kenneth Seavey to look after off-airport business

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Hertz has announced that Kenneth Seavey will be heading up its off-airport rental business. His title will be President of Off-Airport Operations and he will be looking after one of the fastest growing areas of the Hertz business. With more than 1,700 locations, the off-airport business supplies commercial and leisure vehicle rental in urban and suburban locations around the US.

Mr Seavey will be based at the company’s headquarters in Park Ridge, New Jersey. Hertz Executive Vice President and President of Car Rental and Leasing, The Americas, Scott P Sider, said that Mr Seavey’s depth of experience would be vital in driving the off-airport business.

Mr Sider said that the company plans to open up in another 150 locations this year, and that Mr Seavey’s 20-years with the firm and his senior position meant that he was the right man to look after the growth of the business.

Most recently, Mr Seavey held the position of Division Vice President of North America Operations Support, where he supplied support to both on-airport and off-airport areas of the business. The job gave him a good insight into the daily running of operations and meant that he gained a broad spectrum of knowledge about parts of the business such as executive customer relations and ancillary product sales.

The Hertz off-airport business aims at providing customers with vehicles they can use to take a business trip, go on holiday or simply use for everyday requirements. The Hertz Local Edition aims to provide customers with a comprehensive range of vehicles from compact cars through to SUVs.

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US car club buys Streetcar

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Zipcar, the US car club, has become the new owner of British based pay-as-you-go rivals, Streetcar. The deal, worth £32 million, is expected to mean the end of the British brand. Streetcar currently charges members for fuel and usage of its vehicles based in eight UK cities at 1,400 locations. Annual membership costs around £60.

Founder of the Streetcar group, Andrew Valentine, said that he was thrilled with the deal. He said that when the company was founded in 2004, the aim was to become Europe’s leading car club. The new deal with Zipcar meant that this goal could now be reached more quickly, he said.

Zipcar currently has operations across the US and in Spain, and has a membership of around 360,000. Scott Griffith, Zipcar’s chairman and chief executive, said that although the company did not anticipate any immediate price rises for customers in the UK, he could not rule out variables, such as the price of fuel, meaning an addition to member’s bills in the future.

At the moment, Zipcar members are covered for costs such as insurance, the congestion charge in central London and a percentage of the fuel used. A recent hike in hourly charges has caused some members of the Streetcar club to complain. There has also been some disappointment about the removal of smaller cars from the fleet.

Griffith said that he was sure that, in the short term, the combined membership of both car clubs would benefit from the increase in the number of vehicles available. He also said that Zipcar intends to add a price bundle feature, not currently offered to Streetcar members.

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New cycle lane confuses motorists

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

The markings of a new cycle lane on a steep section of road in Poole, Dorset, has succeeded in baffling some motorists. The cycle way on Constitution Hill is 6.5 feet wide which means that it takes up more than half the available road space. There is a remaining 4.5 feet for cars.

Safety officials are worried that because not enough people understand the rules, the markings could cause motorists to try and drive up Constitution hill on the wrong side of the road. The markings are perfectly legal and follow official guidelines, and the planners responsible for painting them onto the road say that they will encourage drivers to pay more attention to cyclists.

According to the planners, the markings are on the steep part of the hill as this is where some cyclists start to wobble because of the increase in effort which is required. There is also now adequate space for faster cyclists to overtake.

The new markings have not been received well by some motorists who say the new lane is wide enough to hold a stage of the Tour de France. Poole Council has pointed out that the markings are only advisory and that cars are of course allowed to cross into the cycle lanes as they drive up the hill.

AA spokesperson, Paul Watters, said that he was concerned that some drivers would read the markings in the wrong way and attempt to stay in the path of traffic coming down the hill. He said that some motorists might be afraid of crossing into the cycle lane because they were unsure of the law.

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Carrentals.co.uk launches new customer service campaign

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

In an effort to simplify the sometimes overwhelming amount of information offered to travellers who book holidays using the internet, Carrentals.co.uk is launching its ‘Raising the Standard’ campaign. The idea behind the new service is to provide consumers with accurate and uncomplicated information about all aspects of travel, from hiring a holiday vehicle to the small print on insurance.

Managing director of Carrentals.co.uk, Gareth Robinson, says that the price comparator has always tried to give its customers access to the best available deals as well as the widest range of offers when it comes to hiring a car. However, the people behind the award-winning site realise that car hire is just one facet of a person’s holiday.

Robinson says that the Raising the Standard campaign aims to extend the scope of information which travellers might need to ensure that their holiday was not spoilt by hidden costs and misinformation. He said that he was aware that right now there are numerous fantastic deals to be had, but that the consumer needed to be aware of factors such as hidden costs and clauses in the small print in order to make the best of these deals.

The Raising the Standard campaign will offer consumers access to forums where they will be able to ask questions and obtain free advice. The program also aims to involve experts within the travel industry who will be invited to contribute their knowledge.

Carrentals.co.uk has already teamed up with a number of other travel companies like Fly.co.uk, Questor Insurance and Self Catering Breaks, who have agreed to be part of the Raising the Standard campaign.

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Volcanic ash continues to disrupt car hire customers

Monday, April 19th, 2010

The National Air Traffic Service has advised that the present restrictions on flights in and out of the UK remain until at least 7pm today. The volcanic ash cloud which has been disrupting flights since last Thursday has still not dispersed and volcanologists are warning that the production of ash by the Eyjafjallajokull volcano could continue for weeks.

This means that many people who have booked a car hire for leisure or business travel will be unable to pick their vehicle up at the designated time or place. This disruption to customers and car rental firms is set to last at least until tonight, but could well continue, depending on the National Air Traffic Service’s assessment of the situation.

Managing director of Carrentals.co.uk, Gareth Robinson, said that the uncertainty about exactly when passengers will be able to fly again is likely to impact car hire companies who will feel the knock on effect. He said that he has already seen a number of people cancelling their car hire and advised all customers who were facing disruption because of the volcanic ash to find out what their particular rental firms policies were for delayed collections and cancellations.

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