All the key news in fleet…

Used car sales set a new record in March with 728,525 changing hands and 6% up on the same month in 2016.

Used market on track for a record year

Strong used car demand in the first half of the year has put the market on track for a record year, according to Cap HPI.

Total used volumes exceeded 3.3 million between January and the end of June, up 0.1% on 2016, while March used car sales set a new record with 728,525 units changing hands – up 6% on the same month in 2016 and marking the second time since 2004 that the used market has passed 700,000 vehicles during the month.

In 2016, the used market surpassed 7.7 million vehicles, beating the 2015 figure of 7.2 million and the previous 2004 record of 7,731,609 vehicles.

Only 11% of drivers believe the diesel debate has been fairly reported with the driver’s position being truthfully represented.

MPs call for practical diesel solutions, not punitive taxes

The Government is coming under pressure from drivers and MPs from both major parties to ensure its imminent air quality plans are focused on practical solutions, not punitive taxes.

With the final plan due to be published before the end of July, research from campaign group FairFuelUK finds that 91.5% of survey respondents want the Government to adopt alternative proven solutions to improving air quality in UK cities, with only 0.07% believing tax hikes are the best option. Yet 87% are not confident that Defra will be “fair to drivers” in the air quality plan.

The research also finds that only 11% of the public believe the diesel debate has been fairly reported with the driver’s position being truthfully represented. Meanwhile eight out of 10 diesel owners say they will stick to using diesel, with only 0.7% moving to electric, 3.8% hybrid and 5.1% petrol.

Charlie Elphicke Tory MP for Dover, Vice Chair of the APPG for Fair Fuel for Motorists and Hauliers said: “Drivers want to tackle pollution. Yet it’s clear fleecing motorists with toxin taxes, higher parking charges and fuel duty is not the answer. These motorists represent thousands of families, small businesses and white van drivers up and down the land. The Government must sit up and listen to their concerns and the findings in FairFuelUK’s poll.”

The One Click Parking technology means drivers just pay for the actual time the vehicle has been parked for.

Parking app adds pay-as-you-go functionality

AppyParking has added pay-as-you-go functionality to its parking app to enable drivers to just be charged for the minutes they have parked for.

Using the AppyParking app, drivers can identify the nearest parking space and see what the hours of restrictions are and how much the hourly rate is. The new payment functionality means drivers can now confirm their location with One Click Parking, removing the hassle of working out  how they pay and guessing how long they will be there for. When the driver is finished, they can simply pull out of the bay and the parking session ends immediately, only charging for the minutes stayed.

The technology is also on trial in dongle form with a number of commercial fleets in London and is being rolled out to other London boroughs, with the aim of being UK wide in 2018.