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costs

Fleets and garages debating cost of car sanitation

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Fleets and garages are currently working out ‘who pays the cost’ of sanitisation on cars and vans that undergo service, maintenance and repair (SMR).

That’s according to epyx, which says that while there appears to be general agreement among all parties that vehicles will need sanitising thoroughly before they are handed back to their usual driver after undergoing work, who actually will pay for cleaning products, PPE equipment and the time taken is very much open to debate.

Tim Meadows, Vice President and Commercial Director at epyx, said: “This is a development that we are just starting to see through our 1link Service Network SMR platform… Sanitisation is becoming recognised as an essential part of almost any visit by a vehicle to a workshop. The car or van is potentially touched by many people as part of almost any SMR process, and the potential spread of infection needs to be minimised.

“However, that santisation has a cost and is starting to appear as a formal charge on some job sheets. The question is, who pays? Garages see it, understandably, as an additional cost that they shouldn’t have to bear. Their fleet customers, equally understandably, feel the same.”

Meadows said that issue was especially acute where, on lower SMR bills, it could be interpreted as a disproportionate amount.

“If you are having £1,000 of work done, then a potential £10 item doesn’t stick out but, if your car is in the workshop for an MoT test or even just having a small repair, it becomes more noticeable

“Some of the fleets that use 1link Service Network have hundreds of thousands of maintenance jobs every year and adding £10 to each suddenly becomes a very large sum of money.

“Equally, this is a significant cost for garages to absorb. However efficient they become at sanitisation, this is something that takes time and money.

“One thing that we have found during the coronavirus crisis, though, is that a very strong spirit of co-operation has emerged across our industry. Everyone recognises that they are facing the same issues and they need to resolve them together. We are sure that sensible solutions will be found to this problem.”

Severn Crossing now toll free

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Tolls on the Severn Crossings have been abolished, just in time for the busy festive period.

The move will mean those travelling between South Wales and the South West of England will save on journeys home and cross-border deliveries throughout the holiday period and beyond.

The government says the move will generate annual savings for regular motorists of more than £1,000 per year and have an economic boost to the Welsh economy of an estimated £100m each year

Businesses will also benefit from the strengthened links between cities stretching from Swansea to Swindon, no longer burdened by the financial barrier between the communities.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said at the time of the announcement: “It has long been my ambition to see the tolls abolished, doing away with a barrier that has hindered Wales’ economic prosperity for more than half a century.

“Today marks an important leap forward in Wales’ economic potential, increasing our appeal to external investors but also ensuring businesses, commuters and tourists on both sides of the border are no longer hampered by a fee restricting them from carrying out their everyday lives.”

The Government says removal of the tolls will cement the already strong ties between the economies and communities of South Wales and the South West of England, creating a growth corridor for prosperity to flourish from Cardiff, through Newport to Bristol and beyond.

Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling said: “Removing the tolls from the Severn bridges will help transform the economy in South Wales and the South West, putting over £1,000 a year back in the pockets of hard-working families.

“Abolishing these tolls will also cut costs for businesses on both sides of the river, giving them a huge boost to help create new opportunities and new potential for growth.”

The decision comes after the move in January to reduce tolls on the two bridges that cross the Severn, meaning that commuters, drivers and businesses from both sides of the river started making savings earlier this year.