Chairman's blog archive

Past blogs from our Chairman, Roddy Graham, that appear weekly in BusinessCar, are reproduced below. For his latest, please refer to the Chairman's blog.

April 11, 2011 11:44 am

Road safety engineering budget fight

We may top the world road safety league but more could be done according to the Road Safety Foundation. With...

March 14, 2011 10:49 am

World road safety league title worth defending

According to Warranty Direct individual drivers and fleets could soon be spending £1 billion a year on repairing vehicles damaged...

February 21, 2011 12:27 pm

More stable fleet market on the cards

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the pinnacle luxury brand, last year more than doubled its worldwide sales. In so doing, it set...

February 2, 2011 9:42 am

Black holes keep getting bigger

There’s a black hole in the Treasury and many more around the country. And I’m not just talking about in...

January 11, 2011 5:39 pm

Electric vehicles not as clean as they seem

As electric vehicles start to make inroads into mainstream motoring, it’s worth pausing to not only wait for the silent...

December 13, 2010 6:45 pm

Need to keep UK PLC on the move

I don’t know about electric cars, we probably now need electrically-heated road surfaces! I’m only joking but the point is...

November 22, 2010 4:38 pm

Electric cars grabbing the headlines

The Nissan Leaf has been voted Green Car of the Year by the GreenCarWebsite. Probably more significantly, it has made...

October 22, 2010 4:14 pm

Power swings - what goes around, comes around

As a period of unprecedented austerity beckons following this week’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) it’s worth putting the whole thing...

September 27, 2010 3:50 pm

The inevitability of lower speed limits

Edinburgh, location of the very first commercial city car club which I launched at the end of the nineties, is...

September 6, 2010 1:36 pm

MOTs under pressure

This month sees more cars than ever before being submitted for an annual MOT, 2.5 million in all. No doubt...

August 12, 2010 4:09 pm

Motoring safety at risk as budget cuts start to take their toll

It seems as if we are seeing the first cracks starting to appear on the motoring safety front as Government...

July 23, 2010 4:29 pm

Passion for fleet management

Life is not a dress rehearsal. It’s the real thing and you have to make the most of the opportunities...

July 9, 2010 9:24 am

Road safety at risk following budget cuts

It seems we are all being fattened up for the big chop. Talk of 25 per cent cuts in government...

June 25, 2010 12:40 pm

In deep water if you ignore excellent CSR and PR

Deepwater Horizon are two words BP, its employees, shareholders and more importantly still, the people living along the coastline of...

June 18, 2010 12:13 pm

Volcanoes or no volcanoes, we need to protect our planet

Eyjafjallajokull is a word that became quite familiar a few weeks back even though probably people got a little tongue-tied...

June 11, 2010 4:47 pm

Stolen gulley covers a sign of things to come

Stolen gulley covers in Surrey puts the tin lid on it! According to the County Council, 536 gulley and drain...

June 4, 2010 3:17 pm

Call time on drink driving

Drink driving and drug driving deaths and injuries remain unacceptably high. In 2008, 11,000 in the UK alone were killed...

May 21, 2010 1:01 pm

A key to the future?

Recently I came across a great pioneering initiative in the States, which I hope will be introduced over here. Ford...

May 13, 2010 4:15 pm

Politicians Parliament needs to deliver

So we got a hung Parliament after all, as predicted, and the first coalition Government since the Second World War. ...

May 7, 2010 11:20 am

Election mumblings

By the time you read this you will have cast your vote. So will I although, before you come to...

April 30, 2010 5:35 pm

Crash for cash on the rise

‘Crash for cash’ appears to be hitting the headlines big time. The despicable practice of fraudsters deliberately making emergency stops...

April 23, 2010 3:45 pm

Tall transport visions from little volcanoes grow!

First, we had leaves on the line. Now, we have ash in the sky! The genuine but bizarre excuses multiply...

April 15, 2010 5:53 pm

UK car parc declines for first time in 64 years

I never ever thought I would write about a declining UK vehicle parc but the fact is that the number...

March 26, 2010 12:57 pm

Car clubs on the up

Car clubs and car share schemes are back in the news and all positive stuff too. As regular readers of...

March 19, 2010 2:21 pm

F1 management lessons

With all the talk of the sheer boredom of last Sunday’s opening F1 race, it’s still worth looking at some...

March 12, 2010 5:07 pm

Potholes becoming more costly

Black holes simply will not go away – ask any scientist! Indeed those I keep ranting on about (see blogs...

March 5, 2010 10:22 am

Government gets tough on penalties

Glad to see government is getting heavy on penalties on a number of fronts. First was the news last month that...

March 1, 2010 10:48 am

Fleet training key to success

Given we are now two months into the new decade, I wonder how organisations connected with fleet management are rising...

February 18, 2010 3:48 pm

Potholes multiply - time to lobby

What requires a driver’s reaction time of seconds and yet a council’s reaction time of weeks? Yes, you’ve guessed it...

February 12, 2010 3:31 pm

Recall hysteria

Vehicle recalls are grabbing the headlines these days and not always for the right reasons. There has been a wave...

February 5, 2010 5:34 pm

Drink-driving limits under attack

Hot on the heels of moves to lower speed limits comes news of a campaign to lower drink-drive limits, something...

January 28, 2010 4:21 pm

Speeding debate hots up

In our recently published white paper entitled ‘A vision of fleet management in 2015. Predictions on how the fleet industry...

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January 14, 2010 4:23 pm
Black holes got a whole lot bigger!

The black holes just got a whole lot bigger! And a lot more numerous. As the country is swathed under...
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January 7, 2010 5:46 pm
Snow chaos

We’re heading for the worst winter in 30 years and it shows as UK plc is frozen in a white...
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December 17, 2009 4:47 pm
Disturbing increase in hand-held mobile usage

Our neighbours, the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), last week highlighted the dangers of using hand-held mobile phones while driving. We...
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December 10, 2009 4:24 pm
Electric jump start

Electric vehicles are very much flavour of the month with government. Chancellor Alistair Darling in this week’s Pre-Budget Report (PBR)...
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December 4, 2009 4:39 pm
Papering over the cracks?

It seems as if the government is trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot. Converting hard shoulders for...
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November 26, 2009 4:36 pm
Road Safety Week - no room for complacency despite improving statistics

This week is Road Safety Week, the annual initiative organised by Brake, the independent road safety charity. I hope it’s...
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November 19, 2009 3:18 pm
Traffic congestion rise green shoot indicator

Everywhere I go, I hear people talk of green shoots appearing. Our own business has certainly seen an upswing with...
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November 12, 2009 4:17 pm
Debatable likelihood of UK Corporate Manslaughter prosecutions

Much has been written about the UK Corporate Manslaughter (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and Corporate Homicide (Scotland) Act, which...
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November 5, 2009 4:09 pm
Climate change summit could be a deal breaker

Money can often be a deal breaker and the Copenhagen climate change summit may be no different. Currently, there is...
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October 29, 2009 3:50 pm
Easy booking, simplified fare structure and competitive pricing required to boost public transport

Two weeks ago, I explored the position of the three major parties on transport. One of the specific future targets...
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October 22, 2009 4:09 pm
Brawn - a touch of class

What is it about the Brazilian Grand Prix? Over the last few years, we have enjoyed some sensational championship showdown...
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October 15, 2009 4:35 pm
Party transport policies - more vision required

Now that the three major party conferences are behind us I thought it would be interesting to see what they...
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October 1, 2009 4:14 pm
Get on your bike!

It’s get on your bike time! I’m not referring to another London to Paris bike ride in aid of charity...
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September 25, 2009 11:58 am
A Chinese U-turn

It’s all well and good us in the West getting all hot under the collar about climate change and the...
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September 17, 2009 5:22 pm
Electrifying car scene

The car scene is hotting up. One could even say it’s electrifying! The IAA motor show in Frankfurt has seen...
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September 10, 2009 5:14 pm
Spanish electric car initiative

One major factor preventing the widespread uptake of electrical vehicles is having a proper network infrastructure in place for re-charging...
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September 3, 2009 4:27 pm
Drug-driving fleet policy more relevant than ever

We’ve had plenty of drink-driving ad campaigns, now we’re seeing the first drug-driving campaign. Considering how prevalent drug taking is...
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August 20, 2009 4:56 pm
Intelligent Highways

We’ve often heard people talk about ‘intelligent highways’ in relation to information technology but it seems we may soon be...
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August 13, 2009 4:44 pm
Prancing horses - ups and downs

Funny how times change, and with it the fates of two prancing horses – Porsche and Ferrari! The prancing horses of...
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August 6, 2009 4:11 pm
Charging on the horizon

There have been a number of Parliamentary questions relating to road charging in recent weeks. Just when we thought the...
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July 30, 2009 4:34 pm
The hard road of motor sport

Motor sport has always been a ‘nice to have’ rather than a ‘must have’ for most vehicle manufacturers so it...
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July 23, 2009 12:36 pm
Answer the question Minister!

I’m not a great fan of Jeremy Paxman and find his style of interviewing downright rude at times. Take the...
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July 16, 2009 10:45 am
Ray of hope at DfT

Might we have a genuine contender in the shape of Lord Adonis as Secretary of State for Transport? Certainly, he...
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July 9, 2009 5:00 pm
Warning - electric vehicles are selling!

‘Danger – Electric Vehicles’. Is this a sign of things to come? Not a warning sign in the immediate sense. ...
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June 25, 2009 5:19 pm
British Grand Prix winners

Well Jenson Button may not have won the British Grand Prix but the event certainly was a winner. In more...
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June 18, 2009 9:44 am
Creeping towards an integrated transport policy solution

Might we be making small inroads into an integrated transport policy? If not driven by government, at least by outside...
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June 11, 2009 9:47 am
Car club popularity rises including corporate membership

Car share schemes and car clubs have been much in the news recently, all positive stuff too. As regular readers...
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June 4, 2009 12:02 pm
Expensesgate - make your vote count

It started with porn rental videos claimed for by the Home Secretary and quickly degenerated into far worse with Conservative...
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May 28, 2009 4:38 pm
Deer talk

The daughter of a friend of mine has just been involved in her second DVC within less than 12 months. ...
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May 21, 2009 10:17 am
Expensesgate - what those in charge of transport claimed

For the last fortnight, ever since the Daily Telegraph broke the ‘Expensesgate’ story, I have been fit to be tied,...
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May 8, 2009 4:51 pm
More black holes

Hot on the heels that potholes have increased by a third in the past year, comes news that we might...
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April 30, 2009 4:42 pm
Management lessons from F1

What a delight to see a “fledgling”, virtually sponsor-less newcomer take on the establishment at the highest level of motor...
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April 23, 2009 11:39 am
Budget reaction

So the Chancellor did not take heed of my recommendations, nor those of the BVRLA, regarding his scrappage scheme. What...
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April 16, 2009 5:03 pm
To scrap or not to scrap?

Next week we’ll find out whether the government has done its homework over scrappage. Word on the street is that...
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April 2, 2009 4:21 pm
Parliament needs to get a grip on MPs expenses

Sleaze and MPs seem to go hand in hand. It’s probably always been the case but has come more into...
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March 26, 2009 5:20 pm
The power of blogging

It’s flattering to know that people like reading the BusinessCar blogs. Some have even told me that they are compulsive...
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March 19, 2009 4:12 pm
Transport research - more government dead-end spending?

When will this government ever learn? It seems that despite the economic spiral, it is hell-bent on spending money as...
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March 5, 2009 3:40 pm
The case for a total ban on mobile phones

With the recent high profile cases involving the use of mobile phones – hands-free or hand-held – it’s a real...
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February 26, 2009 5:13 pm
The privileges of working in the fleet industry

The one thing I always never try to forget is how privileged many of us are who work in the...
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February 19, 2009 3:20 pm
Black replaces white but goes deeper

Well the snow cleared last week and the swathes of white icy road surfaces were replaced with the normal black...
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February 12, 2009 6:02 pm
From bad to better with good news on professional training

Following my questioning last week of the level of justice when a court handed out a lowly 21-month prison sentence...
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February 9, 2009 3:42 pm
Stricter sentencing required where use of hand-held mobiles results in death

Twenty-one months for an innocent victim’s life, you wonder whether there really is any justice in the world. I refer...
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January 22, 2009 4:23 pm
Black is the new colour

Black is the new black according to DuPont, who have revealed that it’s Europe’s most popular car colour, supporting the...
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January 15, 2009 9:57 am
Intelligent Speed Adaptation - the right foot knows best

Intelligent Speed Adaptation – now there are a few words to conjure up all types of horror scenarios! Sudden spurts...
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January 8, 2009 9:00 am
Happy New Year!

I hope like the FTSE100, it proves to be a better start than you originally expected. We all know it's...
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December 18, 2008 09:00 am
Tackle the year ahead with a positive attitude

Well there’s some good Christmas cheer for diesel drivers, the price per litre has fallen below a £1. Petrolheads are...
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December 11, 2008 09:00 am
Planning road delays

Is it surprising that our economy has come to a grinding halt, when we do so with increased frequency on...
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December 4, 2008 9:00am
The Big Brother state creeps ever closer

Am I the only person worried about the insidious rise of the Big Brother state? Tomorrow a Bill will be...
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November 26, 2008 09:00 am
Pre-Budget Report

The jury’s out as to whether this ‘rescue’ pre-budget report will provide the necessary stimulus to a mis-firing economy. ...
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November 19, 2008 09:00 am
Government should do more for city car clubs

As the person responsible for launching the very first commercial car club, the Budget City Car Club in Edinburgh, I...
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November 12, 2008 09:00 am
Electric vehicles on the move

We all know is that there is no panacea for our green transport problems. Solutions will come from a...
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November 5, 2008 09:00 am
'Big Brother' black boxes

Great news from America today - they've elected their first black President. We'll have to see what happens under...
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October 29, 2008 09:00 am
Great news - commuting times down

Great news - commuting times for those spending more than hour going to and from work have fallen for the...
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October 22, 2008 09:00 am
Green is the colour of the day

Green seems to be the colour of the day with various new announcements made. In many ways, with my Edinburgh City...
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October 16, 2008 09:00 am
Topsy-turvy markets

You don't know which way to turn, one day the markets are up, the next they are down. First, the financial...
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October 9, 2008 09:00 am
Big Brother has arrived

It had to happen. Big Brother has finally arrived on our roads with the imminent roll-out of Specs3. Specs3 you...
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October 3, 2008 09:00 am
Planning ahead is increasingly difficult in these turbulent times

The late Paul Newman came out with some wonderful quotes during his lifetime. One seems quite apposite in these...
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September 25, 2008 09:00 am
Business life is currently a bit like walking on sheet ice.

Business life is currently a bit like walking on sheet ice. You don't know when you're going to hear...
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September 18, 2008 09:00 am
Rollercoaster ride not yet over by a long way

Last week I referred to one hell of a rollercoaster economic year. Little did I, or anybody else, know...
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September 11, 2008 09:00 am
Rollercoaster year sees oil prices skyrocket then fall

What can you say except that we are having one hell of a rollercoaster economic year. It almost makes it...
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September 3, 2008 09:00 am
Politicians - donâ€™t you just love them!

You know how much I hate politicians. I've yet to find one who's actually got balls, is determined against the...
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August 27, 2008 09:00 am
Traffic congestion falls for first time

Last week I stated, as I have done many times before, that the best congestion management policy is to hit...
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August 20, 2008 09:00 am
Black box technology road pricing

I'll bang on about it until I'm blue in the face (see my original blog of 19 February 2007) but...
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August 13, 2008 09:00 am
Reflections on the British International Motor Show

Highlight of my visit to the 2008 British International Motor Show was a sushi for lunch. The whole experience was...
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July 23, 2008 09:00 am
Need for an integrated transport policy/zero tolerance for young drink/driver drivers

New road building appears to be bottom of the transport secretary's agenda following her announcement earlier this week that the...
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July 17, 2008 09:00 am
Speed cameras

So Swindon Borough Council has declared what we all know to be true. Speed cameras are a revenue generator for...
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June 26, 2008 09:00 am
Well counter to some thoughts including the sales director of our own rental management division

Well counter to some thoughts including the sales director of our own rental management division, who ran a sweepstake on...
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June 19, 2008 09:00 am
London to Paris Bike Ride in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care

Permit me for feeling slightly smug on the eve of my epic 250-mile London to Paris Bike Ride in aid...
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June 13, 2008 09:00 am
Iâ€™ve taken an inordinate interest in potholes

Ever since I've been training for next week's London to Paris Bike Ride in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care,...
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June 7, 2008 09:00 am
HMRC seems to be taking the plight

HMRC seems to be taking the plight of the ‘at work' driver, using his or her vehicle on company business,...
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May 28, 2008 09:00 am
CCTV

Interestingly, we advised our clients' drivers to watch out for a change in the law that could affect them financially....
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May 28, 2008 09:00 am
Driving infringements caught on CCTV

Interestingly, we advised our clients' drivers to watch out for a change in the law that could affect them financially....
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May 23, 2008 09:00 am
'at work' drivers

I see the government is about to get tougher on road safety. It wants to top the country league...
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May 19, 2008 09:00 am
Pothole Expert

You know I wrote about potholes a few blogs ago. Well, now I'm becoming an expert on them! My avoidance...
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May 9, 2008 09:00 am
Local Council Elections

The trouble with local council elections is that unless there's one happening in your patch, they are of zero interest!...
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May 2, 2008 09:00 am
Price of Petrol

Well, how times have changed. I clearly remember the price of petrol at the pumps used to be around 30...
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April 24, 2008 09:00 am
UKâ€™s first hydrogen fuel station

Today is a significant day. Why? Because the UK's first hydrogen fuel station has just opened at Birmingham University. The...
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April 23, 2008 09:00 am
UK Porsche - unfair tax

The claim by UK Porsche MD, Andy Goss that "We always knew the environmental impact of this unfair tax would...
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April 15, 2008 09:00 am
Holes in British Roads

Black holes in space are a source of mystery to us mere mortals on planet Earth. They become even more...
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April 3, 2008 09:00 am
Driving on the UK`s Roads

Driving on the UK's roads these past weeks has got me thinking about driving standards in general and lane discipline...
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March 27, 2008 09:00 am
High Occupancy Lanes

Hot on the news that a high occupancy lane has been opened up north, comes news that such a proposed...
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March 12, 2008 09:00 am
Honda Institute

Having just come back from chairing the 15th Annual Members' Conference of the Institute of Car Fleet Management (ICFM), held...
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March 5, 2008 09:00 am
Green Fleet Policies

Last week I referred to the fact that a recent survey suggested that companies were paying mere lip service to...
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February 26, 2008 09:00 am
Congestion Charging

So three out of four Londoners oppose the proposed rise in the congestion charge. Hardly surprising, given it was a...
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February 21, 2008 09:00 am
Has Porsche lost touch with reality?

Has Porsche lost touch with reality? I just can't believe it has applied for a judicial review of Ken Livingston's...
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February 13, 2008 09:00 am
Biofuels are no longer flavour of the month

Biofuels are no longer flavour of the month. The first thorough investigation into biofuel carbon budgets has revealed that growing...
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February 7, 2008 09:00 am
CCTV Cameras

I always thought Tony Blair was Big Brother. Who didn't? He was a control freak. Now it seems that the...
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January 30, 2008 09:00 am
Low Emission Zones

Am I the only person who is going to wake up on February 4 surprised? I`ve been trying to find...
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January 24, 2008 09:00 am
House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee

Interesting to learn that the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, an all-party group of MPs, says that plans to...
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January 16, 2008 09:00 am
Good news and bad news in recent weeks

First, the good news. I understand that the government is starting to get serious about driving standards and that in...
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January 9, 2008 09:00 am
First, may I wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year!

I trust everyone had a good break and took advantage of the opportunity to relax and spend time with family...
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December 5, 2007 09:00 am
I guess really I shouldnâ€™t have suggested

I guess really I shouldn't have suggested the other week that the DVLA take over data management across government departments....
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November 29, 2007 09:00 am
I am a great believer

I am a great believer in surveys in general but sometimes you really shouldn't even take some of them with...
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November 22, 2007 09:00 am
While the government continues

While the government continues to secretly accept backhanders, the poor old company car driver suffers at the pumps. All...
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November 15, 2007 09:00 am
What do you make of the Labour MP

What do you make of the Labour MP, Janet Anderson, who claimed a massive £13,851, in mileage expenses alone! ...
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November 7, 2007 09:00 am
There seems definite discontent

There seems definite discontent in a number of quarters. First come news of consumer irritation with refuelling with the wrong kind...
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October 30, 2007 09:00 am
Well the day after I talked

Well the day after I talked about the experimental use of the hard shoulder on motorways to alleviate traffic congestion,...
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October 24, 2007 09:00 am
Yield management is key

Yield management is key to success in the vehicle rental industry. Maximising vehicle utilisation can make a world of...
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October 16, 2007 09:00 am
Work has started

Work has started on the country's first dedicated motorway share lane - too little too late! And I do...
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October 9, 2007 09:00 am
So Malcolm Fendick, Department for Transport

So Malcolm Fendick, Department for Transport clean fuels advisor is technology and fuel neutral, whatever that means? If you've got...
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September 19, 2007 09:00 am
When is government going to stop pussyfooting

When is government going to stop pussyfooting around the whole issue of carbon footprints? And I don't just mean our...
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September 12, 2007 09:00 am
In our 24/7 society

In our 24/7 society, it's all too tempting to look at the Blackberry while lounging on a beach somewhere exotic...
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September 5, 2007 09:00 am
I Canâ€™t Believe

I can't believe what I read the other day in a rival publication. It was a reader contribution, so no...
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August 24, 2007 09:00 am
For the bloke caught at a new record speed

For the bloke caught at a new record speed in the UK of 174mph on an A-road, there is only...
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August 8, 2007 09:00 am
Interesting and not too surprising

Interesting and not too surprising is news of government's proposal to raise the minimum legal driving age to 18. Irrefutable...
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July 31, 2007 09:00 am
Well itâ€™s all been happening

Well it's all been happening while I've been on holiday in Greece. Under sweltering 40 degree plus conditions, I could...
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July 10, 2007 09:00 am
Itâ€™s quite a shock to hear

It's quite a shock to hear that an empty lemonade bottle can kill a man, but that's exactly what I...
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July 3, 2007 09:00 am
Well in my open letter to Gordon Brown

Well in my open letter to Gordon Brown, the last thing I thought he would do is appoint Ruth Kelly...
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June 26, 2007 09:00 am
My open letter to Gordon Brown

"My open letter to Gordon Brown: Dear Fellow Countryman, Congratulations on finally reaching the top step of the podium. Like Lewis Hamilton,...
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June 12, 2007 09:00 am
Well, congratulations to Lewis Hamilton

Well, congratulations to Lewis Hamilton. He's proved the real deal. For those who follow motor sport his name will have...
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May 9, 2007 09:00 am
I donâ€™t know why

I don't know why but it seems every Bank Holiday brings news of new fatalities on Britain's roads. However, nothing...
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May 1, 2007 09:00 am
Have you seen the latest Nationwide ads on TV?

Have you seen the latest Nationwide ads on TV? They're great! Not only are they amusing but they also underline...
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March 20, 2007 09:00 am
So the Climate Change Bill going through Parliament

So the Climate Change Bill going through Parliament will make us the first country in the world to set legally...
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