July/August 2015
www.bvrla.co.uk
BVRLA News The bimonthly newsletter of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association
BVRLA membership hits ten-year high In the first six months of the year, the association welcomed 73 new members across all categories – taking the total number of companies in membership to over 750 – a tenyear high.
recognised as the benchmark, and this can also be seen elsewhere – our Conciliation Service recently became one of the first alternative dispute resolution services in the UK to be approved by the Trading Standards Institute.
This reflects the vital role the BVRLA is playing in enabling members to achieve and maintain compliance in an increasingly regulated environment.
Furthermore, all five of our strengthened, sector-specific Codes of Conduct have now been published. Due to be introduced in 2016, these will be underpinned by a new governance regime.
The past 18 months have seen us work particularly closely with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in its review of the car rental sector and with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in its development of a consumer credit regime. Our standards are being
All this leaves our industry wellpositioned to take advantage of a strengthening economy, and gives consumers the confidence they need to look for the BVRLA logo when renting or leasing a vehicle. u
Budget analysis An in-depth look at the Chancellor’s announcements in July’s Budget, and what the changes to VED mean for fleets. page 4 Consumer Rights Act How the introduction of the Act affects your business. Plus, news about the BVRLA’s Conciliation Service. page 5 Highlights from the 2015 Fleet Technology Congress A full review of July’s event at the Williams F1 Conference Centre. pages 6-7 Research update The results of the BVRLA’s latest Leasing Broker survey, and early findings from the 2015 CV Informer research. page 9 Licence checking: all you need to know Following the abolition of the paper counterpart earlier this year, we take a detailed look at the DVLA’s online driving licence portal. page 10
Success story: BVRLA Chief Executive Gerry Keaney at July’s Fleet Technology Congress
Changes at the BVRLA Find out what’s happening in the Member Services department as Nora Leggett is promoted and the association welcomes a new member of staff. page 11
• Promoting responsible road transport since 1967 •