Retro Truck Show 2017

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Retro Truck Show 2017

The 9th and 10th September sees the 6th year of the Retro Truck Show. The show attracts over 350 of the best modern Classic Trucks from between the years 1960 to 2000.

Volvo, Scania and DAF as well as many other of the UK’s leading Truck Manufacturers will feature at the show.

There will also be a large indoor model show within the museum plus many trade stands. Other goods on sale include phots, models brochures etc.

Camping facilities are available including showers and toilets.

Quotax is one of the UK’s leading Classic truck Insurers, if you need cover to drive your vehicle to this event please do not hesitate to contact us. We are extremely competitive for Modern Classic Trucks and have a number of exclusive schemes.

Further details of the show can be found at: https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/events/retro-truck-show

Please call our Truck specialists on 0208 691 9691 if you would like a quote from our experienced team.

UK Petrol Price set to rise following Tropical Storm Harvey

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The price of Petrol at the pumps is predicted to rise to its highest level in over 2 years following tropical Storm harvey.

U.S.A refineries on the Gulf coast have been shut down resulting in a surge of imported petrol. Port Arthur the US’s biggest refinery could be shut for over 2 weeks by flooding. Wholesale prices have risen 5% in the last week.

Petrol is set rise above the cost of diesel for the first time since June 2016. The storm has put approximately a quarter of the US refineries out of action.

The floodwaters have started to recede but it could be months before the crisis is fully over.

London mayor put forward plans to pedestrianise large parts of Oxford street

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Large parts of Oxford street are set to be pedestrianised by December 2018 in time for the launch of Elizabeth Line services.

Today the London Mayor Sadiq khan and Robert Davis the deputy leader of Westminster City Council have announced plans to stop Buses and black Taxis as well as other forms of transport as east to west traffic will be restricted from entering Oxford street between Orchard street and Oxford Circus.

The Mayor hopes that by restricting traffic this will deal with the air quality issues, frequency of accidents and serious congestion. The Elizabeth Line is hoped to have a positive impact on the number of visitors shopping in and around the Oxford street area.

 

Dean Richardson 6th fight to be at York Hall 16th February

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London taxi Driver, Dean Richardson, is returning to the ring on Friday16th February at York Hall, Bethnal Green. This will be 22 year old Richardson’s 6th professional contest which will be on a show promoted by David Haye’s Hayemaker Promotions.

He faces the highly experienced Kevin McCauley who beat the home fighter Jamie Carley on the same show as Richardson’s last outing at Wembley arena last October.

Aiming for another win, Dean is undefeated in all 5 of his professional fights with all victories coming by way of knockout and is working his way towards a shot at the Southern Area light-middleweight title.

If you’d like to support Richardson, tickets are priced at £40 for Unreserved Seating, £70 Ringside Seating and £150 for VIP (Ringside table with table service food and drink) and available via 07702 887088 or iboxingtickets.com.  Doors open at 5pm with boxing commencing at 6pm.

School Minibuses – A Safety Guide

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Minibuses are large vehicles and driving them requires a great deal of care.

The Responsibility of the Driver

 The volunteer who drives the minibus is personally responsible for keeping it roadworthy. If the Police were to find any faults the driver is liable and could be subject to a fine, motoring convictions or prosecuted for other offences.

The driver is responsible for ensuring the following:

  • The Insurance covers the uses to which the vehicle is going to be used for.
  • The number of passengers does not exceed the limit and the total weight

Training for drivers of minibuses

A Volunteers should only agree to drive if you have received suitable training:

  • Vehicle familiarisation
  • Simple vehicle checks
  • Procedures following an emergency.
  • Use of seatbelts
  • Use of passenger lifts if applicable
  • The loading and removal of wheelchairs and the securing of them to the vehicle.

Safety Checks on a School Minibus

  •  As any defects are the responsibility are the responsibility of the driver it is essential there is a proper vehicle maintenance system in place.
  • If you are not sure checks have been carried out, carry out the checks personally.

Driving Licence Requirements For Minibus Driver

 Quotax would always recommend that you confirm with The Vehicle and Operators Services Agency (VOSA) and the DVLA that you are able to drive the minibus as licensing can change.

If you volunteer to drive a minibus you must by law:

  • Ensure a section 19 permit has been obtained if one is needed;
  • Hold the appropriate full Driving Licence to do so.
  • Are insured on the vehicle.
  • The minibus has less than 18 passenger seats
  • Held a full UK Licence for over 2 years
  • Comply with the local requirements of the local authority.

If you have passed your driving licence before 1st Jan 1997 you would have a category B and D1 requirement automatically on your licence. These allow you to drive minibuses as well as private cars.

If you passed your car driving licence after 1st January 1997 you no longer have automatic Category D1 minibus entitlement. You would need to pass additional Category D1 test to drive minibuses.

Number of Drivers

It is recommended that a second trained driver accompany every teacher driving a minibus. By having two drivers this should help if an emergency arises. The second driver can act as a supervisor. For longer drives the second driver can share the driving to allow suitable rest times.

For more details regarding the licensing VOSA can be contacted on 0870 218 3818.

 

Hybrid Black Cabs

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New plans revealed by the new Mayor of London state that the Capital will be cutting down on the toxic smog in the City and the owner of the London Taxi Company confirms they have raised $400 million to fund a project that will electrify is ever growing fleet of black cabs.

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Company managed to raise the funds through a green bond sale. The secured funds will finance the development of the hybrid TX5 which will be a battery powered version of the classic 1958 FX4. The new model was unveiled in October by the Chinese President XI Jinping on a state visit to the UK.

Geely has now moved into their new factory in Coventry, England and have been working on the final prototype of the TX5. The factory is expected to produce 36,000 electric cabs’ a year which exceeds the current figure of 23,000 general cabs. The new model is set for commercial sale in the fourth quarter of 2017 which is in time for the zero-emission cap that will begin in January 2018.

Classic 1958 FX4

Classic 1958 FX4

A Guide to Insuring your Minibus

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What is a Minibus?

A minibus is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more passengers than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan but less than a bus or coach. Typically they are between 9 and 17 seats and are a great low cost way of transporting small groups of people around.

Do I need specialist Insurance to drive a minibus?

Minibuses can be used for a wide range of uses and often by multiple drivers therefore you will require specialist insurance to drive a minibus. To ensure you have insured your minibus correctly we would also recommend speaking to a specialist Minibus Insurance broker that has experience in this market and can therefore recommend a product that best suits your needs.

Will I be able to find Minibus quotes online?

Minibus Insurance typically is more expensive than insuring small vehicles such as estates and salons. Minibuses carry more passengers and as such are more expensive to Insure. It is best to speak to a broker as we have found online websites generating quotes but not supplying the correct cover because it hasn’t picked up the fact that the vehicle has more seats.

Can I insure a minibus for a short period of time?

Here at Quotax we have an exclusive short term minibus scheme with a leading Insurer, if you would like to discuss cover options please call our team.

If I take out Minibus Insurance can I drive other cars and minibuses Third party only?

Unfortunately we don’t know of any Insurer that allows cover to driver other vehicles when taking out a Minibus Insurance policy.

What are the requirements if I wanted to drive a minibus not for ‘hire and reward’

We always recommend speaking to the Vehicle and Operators Services Agency and the Driver and Vehicle licensing Agency but current guidance as of the 14/08/2017 is as follows:

✔ 21 or older

✔ Had your driving licence for at least 2 years

✔ Meet the group 2 medical standards if you’re over 70 – check with your GP if you are not sure you meet the standards

✔ You’re driving on a voluntary basis and the minibus is not more than 3.5 tonnes – or 4.25 tonnes including specialist equipment for disabled passenger, for example a wheelchair ramp

✔ You’re not towing a trailer

We are a Not for profit organisation and would like to make a small charge towards the running costs of the minibus, will I need Private Hire Insurance?

If you are an organisation providing transport on a ‘’not for profit basis’ you can apply for either a section 19 or section 22 permit. These permits allow an organisation to make a charge towards the running costs of the vehicle, without a view to profit.

How quickly will I be able to get a quote for my minibus?

We have a specialist minibus team available to take your call between 9am & 5pm, often we are able to run through details which usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes and deliver a quote within half an hour. If you would like to discuss your requirements with our team please call us on 0208 691 9691.

Get a quote for Minibus Insurance

Car insurance has become more expensive than ever before

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Motorists are now paying an average of £666 for their coverage, which is an all-time high.

According to research by Consumer Intelligence, premiums have elevated more than five times the current rate of inflation to 15.7%.

Almost half of the increase last year occurred in three months to May, and the premiums have increased by over a third since October 2013.

Consumer Intelligence blamed the rise on a cut to the discount rate on personal injury claims in March from 2.5% to -0.75%.

The rate is used to determine compensation payments handed to accident victims to consider the extra interest they could gain. The fact that it is now a negative rate means that there are higher pay outs for insurance companies, leading to inflated premiums for car owners.

The rise in Insurance Premium Tax to 12% from 10% last month will have taken its toll on drivers, which will add an estimated £13 to the policy if insurers pass the tax on to motorists, this is eventually expected to increase to 20% in line with VAT.

Over 50s insurance has seen the biggest increase of all with a 17.9% rise, but still pay the least of any age bracket (£418).

Drivers between 21 and 24 years of age pay the most for their policies with an average of £1,202 but saw a below average rise of 13.1%. According to Consumer Intelligence, this below average change is down to cost-reducing black boxes, with 62% of the policies for younger drivers use telematic technology.

Drivers living in London are still the highest paying area with an average of £1000, which is more than double Scotland and South West where the average price is £474.

Up until this year rates increases were fairly flat but since the start of 2017 we have seen substantial rises especially since the Insurers price the cost of Ogden rate rise into their premiums.

The Governments after facing a huge backlash from the Insurance industry had planned to review the rate increase but the general election and fallout from this now seems to have taken precedent.

Pre-booked Taxis and Private Hire PCO Licencing

Pre-booked Taxis and Private Hire PCO Licencing

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Pre-booked Taxis and Private Hire PCO Licencing

Over the last few weeks we have taken a number of calls asking about Licensing restrictions, particularly whether London Green Badge holders can pick up pre-booked fares outside London.

We have sought clarification from TFL and one of the Policy Officers has sent us the following Licence limitations:

Taxis

Taxis are permitted to accept pre-bookings, and can do so by taking bookings directly; through a taxi radio circuit or app; or through a private hire vehicle operator.

Taxi drivers are able to accept a pre-booked journey that starts or finishes outside of London, though if the journey is accepted by a Suburban (yellow badge) driver they must be in the sector (s) they are licensed for, when accepting the booking.

Private Hire Vehicles (PHV’s)

There are no constraints on where private hire journeys can start and / or finish and PHVs are free to undertake journeys anywhere in England and Wales provided :-

  • The vehicle, driver and operator are licensed by the same licensing authority
  • The booking is accepted by the operator at their specified operating centre within that authority

The above is commonly referred to as the ‘triple licensing requirement

Undefeated Dean Richardson, The Boxing Cabbie fights again on the 10th June

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Following the disappointment of having to pull out of his fight in March due to illness, London taxi driver turned professional boxer, Dean Richardson, steps into the ring for the fourth time at York Hall, Bethnal Green on Saturday 10th June.

The undefeated 21 year old, from South Ruislip, turned pro in November 2015 and has won all his fights by KO.  His last fight was in November last year when he fought on the undercard of George Groves vs Eduard Gutknecht at Wembley Arena.

If you would like to go along to York Hall and support Dean, tickets are available on 07512 542168 and are priced at £35 (Unreserved Seating), £65 (Ringside) and £100 (VIP which includes a free bar and food from 5-7pm).