Motoring Newsbriefs

Dec 15 2009 Maurice Glover

Going Dutch means pay as you goVEHICLE registration fees and road tax charges are set to disappear in Holland.

Instead, a new kilometer tax will allow motorists to make payments that relate to how much they use their vehicles.

Under a new draft law on road charging, the Dutch government is proposed to charge drivers a basic tax of 0.03 per kilometer that would vary with vehicle type, weight and exhaust emissions. That's the equivalent of around 5p per mile.

By 2018, the basic rate will rise to 0.067 per kilometer. Each vehicle will have a satellite navigation system to check time, distance and speed and transmit the data to a collection facility where invoices will be drafted.

'The cash raised will go on road, rail and other infrastructure and research suggests our plan may cut travel by 15 per cent, reduce particulate emissions, improve road safety and deliver welfare gains of one billion euros a year,' said a spokesman.

Safety belt awardPIONEERING road safety work by Volvo has been recognised by a special award from Prince Michael of Kent.

The Prince - Royal patron of the Commission for Global Road Safety - made the special international award as part of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the invention of the three-point safety belt by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin.

'This invention is a perfect example of how the protection of human life is intrinsic to the DNA of our company - as safety belts are a legal requirement, I like to think there is a little piece of Volvo in every car.

"The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo is - and must remain - safety. We believe that by 2020, nobody should be killed or seriously injured in a Volvo and we are constantly innovating and developing safety systems and features that all contribute towards this vision,' said managing director Peter Rask.

Christmas pressuresCHECKING tyre pressures could cut the chances of being stranded by the roadside over the Christmas holiday.

Driver should make sure tyres are inflated to the correct pressure before setting off on trips with vehicles laden with more passengers than usual plus luggage and presents, warns TyreSafe chairman Stuart Jackson.

"During the holiday period too many motorists suffer misery from tyre related breakdowns because they haven't made adequate checks before setting off," he says.

Switched on Sainsbury'sSAINSBURY'S is set to become the biggest operator of electric vehicles in the world.

The retailing giant already operates 20 electric vans in London and will have the largest fleet of zero-emission delivery vehicles when it adds another 51 vans next summer.

Built by Smith Electric, the vans are pure electric versions of the Ford Transit, powered by leading-edge lithium-ion batteries.

All have refrigerated box bodies and are restricted to a top speed of 40mph with a daily operating range of 60 miles.

Scrappage successBRITAIN'S new-cars-for-old incentive has broken the quarter-million barrier with 251,629 sales achieved between May and November. The scrappage scheme accounted for more than one fifth of car sales last month.