Important Information regarding our Deptford office

In response to the government’s latest Social Distancing measures, we have taken the tough decision to no longer meet with our valued customers face to face. With this in mind, our office based on site at Ascott Cab Company, Blackhorse Road, Deptford will be temporarily closed.

Please rest assured, we have a comprehensive business continuity plan to ensure we continue to support you through these difficult times.

We want to reassure you we are very much still open for business and will work tirelessly to offer you the same professional advice and guidance during these uncertain times. Please feel free to contact us in all the normal ways;

  • Contacting us via phone: 0208 691 9691
  • You can send us documents to us via our business whatsapp on: 07853 411043
  • You can contact our administration team (and forward requested documents) via email on: admin@quotax.net
  • You can chat with our experts on our online chat facility on our website
  • You can request a call back on our website
  • If you have had a claim please contact our claims line on 0203 928 7337. If you would like to contact your insurer directly, a list of our insurers’ claims numbers can be found at www.quotax.net/how-to-claim/

We remain as always committed to the health and wellbeing of our employees and the people and communities we serve. We will continue to keep you informed using the best information and guidance available to us.

Important Information following the Covid-19 Pandemic

The current Coronavirus outbreak has placed the Nation in an unimaginable and worrying time, with unprecedented pressures being placed on the NHS, businesses and individuals. The country is facing the prospect of extended restrictions to our movements; the dedicated NHS staff risk their own lives to save others on a daily basis. Whilst all this is happening it is having a huge impact on our clients and their livelihoods. Please be assured we are doing everything possible to support you during this time.

How Quotax is supporting our clients during this difficult period

In response to the government’s latest measures we have taken the decision to temporarily close our offices to protect both our staff and customers. Please rest assured we have a robust business continuity plan in operation which has enabled all of our team to work successfully from home and you are able to contact us in all the usual ways.

A number of our clients have called to discuss options to reduce their monthly outgoings at this difficult time. Please see below a list of frequently asked questions with answers that may give some guidance.

Your Questions answered

If I pay by Direct Debit can I defer my payment whilst the current crisis is ongoing?

If you pay by Direct Debit your Premium Funding will almost certainly have been arranged by Close Brothers Premium Finance. At Quotax we are able to make minor changes to your plan (we can sometimes alter a payment date by a few days). Any significant changes you require to make will need to be directed to Close Brothers Premium Finance. They can be contacted on 0333 321 8566, please quote your reference number when calling them, this can be found on the documentation that they sent you when the loan was arranged.

I paid my policy in full; can I now get my money back and pay monthly?

If you have already paid in full we are unable to now move you onto a monthly direct debit scheme mid term.

I am unable to make my Insurance payment what can I do

If you have an annual Insurance policy which is due for renewal and you are unable to meet that expense please talk to one of the Quotax Customer Service team about setting up a monthly plan with Close Brothers Premium Finance.

If you are already paying by Monthly Direct Debit and you are unable to make the next payment call the Quotax Team, they may be able to change the payment date, alternatively call Close Premium Funding on 0333 321 8566 and remember to have your reference number to hand.

I want to cancel my policy can I do this?

If you are taking your vehicle off the road you can cancel your Insurance Policy. Please remember that some charges are made when a policy is cancelled, therefore the return premium may not be exactly pro-rata to the time that you have had on cover. If any incident has been reported during the policy year the Insurer may decline to offer a refund. Please be aware that you may lose some of your No Claims Bonus if you have not completed a full year of Insurance cover. You must also declare your vehicle SORN if you are keeping it off the road and uninsured.

If you are paying your premium by Direct Debit (with Close Premium Finance) and you cancel your policy we will obtain a refund of premium from your insurer (subject to no claims having been made in the policy year). The refund will be calculated in accordance with your policy wording and terms of business. We will use this refund to offset the outstanding balance owed to Close Brothers Premium Finance. In some instances, the refund from the Insurer (please refer to your policy booklet for scale of return) may not be sufficient to settle the balance to the Premium Finance Company. If this is the case you will be responsible for the outstanding amount.

Before you decide to cancel your policy please carefully consider the following

All vehicles are required to be insured that are taxed. It is possible to declare your vehicle SORN as long as the vehicle is not on a public road; it is however a requirement that any vehicles kept on a public road must have minimum levels of cover.

It is also a Public and Private Hire licensing requirement with most Councils that your vehicle should be Insured for Hire and Reward for the duration of plate, please therefore check with your Licensing Authority or TFL before cancelling.

If you are paying for your vehicle on finance/lease or a similar scheme most finance providers stipulate that the vehicle must be insured comprehensively for the duration of the finance agreement, before deciding to cancel please check with you Finance provider

Are there any alternatives to cancelling my policy?

Some of our Insurers will give the option to reduce cover to Social Domestic and Pleasure only if you are not using the vehicle for Hire and Reward, please speak with your local Plating Council first as it is usually a requirement that the vehicle is covered for Hire and Reward whilst plated.

Can I freeze my Insurance?

Insurers have not traditionally allowed cover to be frozen or premium holidays to be taken.

Are you still able to offer a 24/7 claims service?

Yes – all of our providers have comprehensive business continuity plans in place which have been implemented, please contact our claims departments in the normal ways.

We have been working closely with our insurer panel to support our Taxi Driver clients whilst they look to diversify their activities in order to maintain some level of income during this difficult period.

We have negotiated the following extensions in cover with our Insurer Panel for the duration of the crisis and in the case of Antilo Insurance for one month only (this will be reviewed at the end of one month)

Markerstudy, we can now confirm that, on a temporary basis during the Corona Virus crisis, policy cover is extended to cover all Taxi policies to deliver fast food, collection and delivery of prescriptions, food/grocery shopping and small parcel delivery. This extension of cover is provided completely free of charge.

Haven Insurance, we can now confirm that, on a temporary basis during the Corona Virus crisis, policy cover is extended to cover all Taxi policies to deliver fast food, collection and delivery of prescriptions, food/grocery shopping and small parcel delivery. This extension of cover is provided completely free of charge.

Antilo, we can now confirm that, for one month only during the Corona Virus crisis, policy cover is extended to cover all Taxi policies to deliver fast food, collection and delivery of prescriptions, food/grocery shopping and small parcel delivery. This extension of cover is provided completely free of charge.

ERS, we can now confirm that, on a temporary basis during the Corona Virus crisis, policy cover for Taxis can be extended to cover journeys delivering fast food, collection and the delivery of prescriptions, food/grocery shopping and small parcel delivery. This extension of cover is provided completely free of charge. You will need to call our office in order for us to notify ERS that you intend to carry out this type of work so that they can endorse your policy to cover this.

Allianz, we can now confirm that, we are able to extend cover for the Carriage of Goods.
. You will need to call our office in order for us to notify Allianz that you intend to carry out this type of work so that they can endorse your policy to cover this.

In all cases we must advise you that the goods that you will be transporting will NOT be insured but the journey itself will be. This means, if the goods transported are DAMAGED or LOST during transit, no cover will be in place.

Should you wish to insure the goods that you are transporting, please contact us and we will be able to quote for a separate “Goods in Transit” policy.

Finally

Please remember we are here to offer help and support to you. We can only make changes to your policy that the Insurer has agreed. The Insurers are reviewing what changes can be made to their policies regularly and the options may change. Our staff are working from home taking large volumes of calls so the wait times may be longer than you might ordinarily expect. Thank you for your understanding with this.

We hope that you and your families remain safe and well.

Kindest regards,

Daniel Fosker and all of the Quotax team.

bustourant header case study

Case Study: Bustourtant

There are many ways to explore the Scottish capital, but none quite so unique as the Bustourant – a bus that has been converted into a travelling restaurant offering wonderful tours of Edinburgh and the surrounding area as well as some delicious local cuisine.

Finding the right insurance quotes for such a niche vehicle can be a tall order, which is why the two owners, Aga and Martin, got their insurance from Quotax. Their unique requirements could be matched by no other insurance provider, making our partnership a match made in heaven.

Due to the quirkiness of the Bustourant, we wanted to know a little bit more about the team behind it. Luckily, Aga was more than glad to take the time out to tell us about the business she shares with Martin. Read more

School Minibus

£200,000 deal for Fylde minibus firm

A Fylde coach and minibus company has been brought by Rotala.

Rotala, the Birmingham based company has put forward an investment of £200,000 to buy Elite Minibus and Coach Services in Fylde.

The company, based in Blackpool, has a fleet ranging from 4 to 53 seated vehicles and has been established for 28 years in Fylde.

They have a service contract with the local authority for the Service Number 87 that goes between Cleveleys and Poulton, along with several school and college contracts.

The company, together with its private hire business generates an annual revenue of around £500,000.

In a statement made by Rotala to the stock market they go on to say “This acquisition will broaden the range of services which Preston Bus is able to offer in this area of Lancashire and add to its geographical reach.”

Rotala has had a turnover in the last few years of just over £50m however it has raised its aims to generate a figure of £85m following its expansion.

Rotala’s hold operations in Bristol, Essex, Manchester and is also the owner of Preston Bus which it brought back in January 2011.

The LSE statement said: “This business, with its small number of existing staff will be integrated into the outstation which Rotala already operates in Blackpool through its subsidiary company, Preston Bus.”

It went on to add that the vehicle fleet of Elite had a fair value of £150,000 and that Rotala would not assume any other assets or liabilities of materiality on acquisition.

“On this basis the Acquisition is expected to generate about £50,000 of positive goodwill on consolidation and is expected to be earnings enhancing from completion.”

Bob Dunn the Director added: “We already operate a few services in Blackpool, eight at this moment in time however this will give us another six.

“We have always seen the area as one we wanted to expand into and we have other things planned for the wider North West.

“We want to develop the whole region with more of a coach operation, but are also looking at bus opportunities.”

Bus and Coach insurance feature

Large Fleet of ”Poo Buses” to be rolled out in Bristol

Following a trial of a 40 seater Bio Bus in Bristol the council are now looking to extend the trial and run 110 gas powered double-deckers.

The Buses run on biomethane gas that is generated from sewage and organic waste. The proposal has been pushed forward to the government with a request to extend the service.

The regular users are full of praise for the trial we caught up with James Byers who said, ‘’the poo bus not only runs quietly and on time but makes me feel good as I know that we are helping the environment, I am looking forward to the day when the technology allows me to power my own car from my own waste.’’

Using today’s technology a years’ worth of Mr Byer’s waste would only allow the bio bus to travel 37 miles so we may be a little while off yet.

With Technology moving so quickly and the pressures from the government to reduce bus emissions it is surely only a matter of time before this will become mainstream.

How the Bio Coach works

· The gas is compressed and stored in dome tanks on the roof of the Bus
· The impurities are removed this leads to a virtually odour free emissions
· Up to 30% less CO2 is produced compared to diesel vehicles
· The vehicle is powered by biogas that has been upgraded this means that CO2 is removed and Propane is added.

Bus and Coach insurance news

Quotax targets the Coach and Bus market

Since Quotax launched their Minibus Insurance offering they have seen their portfolio increase through delivering knowledgeable advice, competitive prices, and market leading cover.

Quotax have built a strong panel of all the leading Minibus Insurers and this has enabled us to cover almost all types of use, many of the leading Insurers in the Minibus market are also strong in the Coach and Bus market.

‘’Minibus Insurance has become an integral part of Quotax, we have built good relationships with Insurers that compete in both the Minibus and Coach markets. We already cover a number of coaches on fleet schemes for our existing clients so it makes sense to actively target this line of business. We have access to competitive rates and can cover businesses and can accommodate both large and small fleets and of course single vehicles . We will be investing heavily online to drive more enquiries through to our sales team. We are also able to offer Employers liability and all types of business cover you may require.’’

If you have a Coach or bus that needs Insurance from 1 vehicle to a fleet please give our team a call on: 0208 469 9679

Bus and Coach insurance news

School coach company sent into administration following fire

School bus services have been disrupted following Gerald Coaches Ltd. being placed in administration. The Coach and Bus company suffered a fire just over a month ago that caused damage at the company’s depot. Gerard’s Coaches had been trading since 1991 and employs over 50 staff with a fleet of 50 coaches.

The fire, in August 2015, led to the destruction of half of the fleet’s repair workshop and damaged three of the company’s vehicles.

The West Yorkshire Authority said that they were working hard to ensure that service disruption is at a minimum and if anyone is in doubt they should contact their school.

Daniel Fosker Quotax Insurance Services – Unfortunately it is extremely common for businesses to go into administration following a disaster even if they have some level of business interruption cover. Various Insurance sources estimate that between 40% to 80% of businesses that suffer a major disaster cease trading within 2 years the exact figure varies from Insurer to Insurer. We encourage our commercial clients to take out sufficient business interruption cover so they can continue to trade should the worst happen. If any Bus and Coach companies would like to discuss how we can help cover your business please feel free to call us on 0208 469 9679.  Quotax Bus and Coach Insurance.  

Insurance premium Tax to increase by 3.5% from November 1st

On the 8th July 2015 The Chancellor announced in his budget that the standard rate of insurance premium tax would increase from 6% to 9.5% effective from 1st November 2015

For Travel Insurance, mechanical appliances and certain vehicle insurance the rate would remain at 20%

This will affect the following clients (Please note this is not the complete list of business Quotax places that may be effected):

Taxi Insurance

Minibus Insurance

Short term (Temporary) Minibus Insurance

Coach and Bus Insurance

Commercial Insurance

Fleet Insurance

Private Car Insurance


Basic outline of changes:

 

New Business and Renewal transactions

  • Inception/renewal date before 1 November 2015: 6%
  • Inception/renewal date on or after 1 November 2015: 9.5%

 

Mid Term Adjustments (MTAs) on policies incepted or renewed before 1 November 2015

Refund Premiums (RPs):

  • Effective date of MTAs before 1 November 2015: 6%
  • Effective date of MTAs on or after 1 November 2015: 6%

Additional Premiums (APs):

  • Effective date of MTAs before 1 November 2015: 6%
  • Effective date of MTAs on or after 1 November 2015: 9.5%

 

Busworld 2015 Exhibition

Iveco Bus Magleys awarded “International Coach of the Year 2016”

The Magleys Tourism coach from Iveco Bus has been named the “International Coach of the Year 2016”

The jury judge the entries on a number of features such as: innovations, efficiencies, performance, design as well as many other factors.

Iveco Coaches were praised with increasing the efficiency of the vehicle thus reducing costs for the Coach Operator. The Coach was said to have a great price-quality ratio that set it apart from other bus entries. The vehicle was able to perform a number of roles from school, charity, as well as being used as a standard Private Hire coach. The Coach and bus industry is a very competitive market and any savings that can be passed onto the end Public Service Operator are hugely welcome.

The trophy is set to be presented at the Iveco Bus stand at the Busworld exhibition which is being held in Belgium between 16th Oct and 21st Oct 2015.

Busworld 2015 Exhibition

Stagecoach record fall in UK bus and Coach passengers

Stagecoach’s UK division has seen a slight fall in numbers for the first 12 weeks of trading in 2015 financial year. Trading overall was described as in line with expectations and there was an increase in revenue growth of 1%. The 0.7% fall in passengers numbers was attributed to poor summer weather leading to a reduction in use by concessionary pass holders. The London market saw a rise of 1.5%.

Newly launched services in Europe of Megabus are yet to return a profit. The latest trading update were expecting a loss as they invest heavily to increase market share, there has been progress to date with strong demand in Germany and Italy.

Megabus have seen a revenue reduction of 3.4% in North America and this has been blamed on falling fuel costs.