GMB members who work as drivers for east London chauffeur company Chauffeur First which holds contracts to provide services to prestigious finance companies have been told that they must move over to self-employed status and lose their permanent, direct employment contracts.

On Tuesday 29th April, more than fifty chauffeurs were apparently told that as from the 1st May that they would be self-employed. It would mean a dramatic reduction in wages and that their weekend working arrangements will also be altered.

Following objections from GMB members, all changes to the chauffeurs employment status were put on hold and guarantees that the proper consultation and notice periods given to GMB. On Monday 12th May all drivers were given a letter from the company saying that their contracts had been “deleted” as from that day, and that there would now be a timetable in which the drivers could apply for their own jobs on a self-employed basis.

Terry Flanagan, Secretary of the Professional Drivers branch of the GMB said, “As the city starts to feel the effects of the credit crunch, it is passing the pain on to GMB members who work. This is typical of the behavior of proprietors in this industry and with the recession starting to hit hard, many other companies are attacking the pay and conditions of their workforce.

He added; “The GMB Professional Drivers Branch will fight these attacks on GMB member drivers. GMB does not accept these attacks on chauffeurs and would encourage all drivers to join GMB as this situation will only get worse as the recession bites the City.”

A survey conducted by The Chauffeur magazine has found a massive seven out of ten operators are fully booked for the forth-coming school prom season.

Although the results are not a massive shock as the industry always thrives on the prom sector, many operators have reported a continual flow of calls and some just not being able to find the cars or drivers to complete the work.

The survey involved a snap-shot of twenty high-profile operators spread throughout the UK, and it seems as if the economic downturn is not affecting the limousine hire industry, as many revealed that 2008 is looking to be one of the busiest years for school prom hire.

The recent Chauffeur Drive ’08 event at Farnborough (see full report inside) proved how busy the industry is keeping by exhibitors reporting amazing sales, with operators choosing brand-new vehicles above pre-owned.

David Wilson from Luxury Limousine Services in Suffolk told us; “We bought three new vehicles last year in preparation for 2008, and even though the year started-off pretty slow for us, we are now pretty much booked-up for the school prom season.

He added; “We are now debating whether to purchase more vehicles and employ more drivers, however, I would rather take advantage of being fully-booked, rather than starting to worry about generating work for another vehicle.”

The story is the same in the south-of-England as the largest operator in Kent and Sussex, Star Limousines has also experienced a massive amount of bookings, and that is before some local schools have even announced the dates for their proms.

Daniel Roberts from Star Limousines told us; “Every year is different, but this year is looking very promising indeed. June is especially busy for us and all the other months around that are also pretty consistent.

He added; “To keep things simple, we only offer one package which gives the customer the choice of only one, and keeps things very simple. The money we are getting for this package is excellent, and we never tend to budge on this as we do not really feel the need to. We are currently charging anything from £495 for a Chrysler 300C up to £895 for a 14 seater limousine which is still great value.’

Associations such as the National Limousine and Chauffeur Association are expecting to push more messages out to the general public over the summer period, in an attempt to educate the general public on hiring legal and safely operated limousines.

A number of stretched limousines were stopped and checked by police in Brighton recently to ensure companies are complying with the law and are fit to carry passengers.

Police said limousine use was rising, particularly in cities like Brighton, and firms had to follow safety and legal requirements at all times.

The checks were carried out by Sussex Police along with VOSA, DVLA and Brighton and Hove City Council were all involved in the searches. It is currently unknown if any vehicles were seized.

Earlier this year, the Department for Transport published guidelines for operators, and brought in a safety inspection regime. The new guidelines were to help limousine owners make sure their vehicles comply with regulations on weight, dimensions, turning circle, seating, brakes, tyres, doors, lamps and reflectors and glazing.

The UK’s largest gathering of limousine manufacturers proved a success as millions of pounds of sales were agreed in just two days.

Chauffeur Drive ’08 in April saw the biggest array of coachbuilders in the world gather to exhibit the newest vehicles and latest innovations to the limousine industry, and for some, a record amount of deals were signed showing a positive future for the business.

Manufacturers such as Royale, Krystal UK, Hummerzine, Executive Coach Builders and Federal all displayed the latest vehicles such as Chrysler 300, Hummer H3’s and Lincoln Town Cars, with the industry debut of the Hummerzine, the world’s first Hummer H2 which now holds a Certificate Of Initial Fitness (COIF).

Owner of Hummerzine, Danny Cawley commented; “It was an exciting moment to at last display this vehicle to the visitors and get the feedback from them. Most of the people who saw the vehicle loved it and we secured five sales throughout the two-day show.’

Krystal UK displayed it range of SVA’d vehicles on its stand in the form of Hummer H3’s and its stunning Chrysler 300C. Following the companies win in The Chauffeur QSI Awards in the Limousine of the Year category, the Chrysler limousine has been a hit within the industry since the SVA version was introduced in 2007.

Nick Clarke from Krystal UK told us; “It has been a lot of hard work getting this vehicle ready for the industry, and since it received its SVA status, we are delighted with how popular the vehicle has become.’

He added; “Chauffeur Drive ’08 has been a fantastic opportunity to meet many operators and has given them the ideal opportunity to see all our vehicles in one place.’

Royale Limousines famous for its CMC approved Cadillac’s bought the luxury marquee over and showed what the alternative to a Town Car limousine can offer. Its stunning interior and packages offered by its UK agent, A1 Stretch is still a classic marquee and the company has already reported an increase in Cadillac sales within the European market.

Federal Coach which has been famous for the production of funeral vehicles in the USA introduced its stunning Town Car range at the event. UK agent Kenn Appleyard said; “Visitors were really interested as to what Federal can offer, as they already know the manufacturer but not necessarily had the chance to actually see the vehicles.’

He added; “The limousine got some excellent feedback and they were impressed with the overall looks and build quality of the QVM produced Lincoln Town Car.’

Another first was the debut of a whole range of ECB vehicles which proved why the Executive Coach Builders brand is one of the biggest in the world.

Limousine Sales & Service, part of Big Slo Limo Co of Manchester, is one of the leading limousine operators in the North West of England with over 15 years knowledge and experience of limousine sales, service and repair.

Owner Gary Robertson commented; “As a result of the last 2-3 years of successfully importing and selling limousines, we have built up a successful working relationship with Executive Coach Builders of Missouri and Florida.

He added; “This relationship has been mutually beneficial and has enabled us to influence a new product line from ECB based on both Navigators and Expedition vehicles. We are working closely with VOSA and VCA to develop the COIF certificate for Executive Coach Builders on the All New Ford Expeditions 140in QVM and Navigator Limousines.’

The manufacturers new EU Evolution limousine with its showy interior attracted lots of interest and secured many firm orders at Chauffeur Drive ‘08, adding further to its development of sales in Europe. Robertson, currently supplies ECB limousines to the UK and in mainland Europe to Romania, Italy and Belgium.

Also, 1st 4 Limos displayed a range of ECB built Chrysler 300 limousines which are set to receive the SVA certificate. Mark Farrell from 1st 4 Limos commented; “This event really showed how much operators are wanting to purchase legal and quality built limousines. We have worked hard with ECB to develop this product into one of the most stunning limousines available in the market.’

Visitors to the show not looking for a brand-new vehicle had the opportunity to see how they could transform their existing Lincoln Town Car into a vehicle which looks brand new and fresh. Developed by Carbonyte UK, the makers of the Ferrari limo, showed its Bentley look-a-like facelift vehicle which can be added to any older Town Car limousine.

Owner Chris Wright commented; “This is an affordable and exciting way of giving an older limousine and fresh lease of life. The front and rear ends have been developed to give this amazing look to the vehicle which can turn the car into a real earner.’

Inside the hall at Chauffeur Drive ’08 visitors had the chance to stock-up on limousine parts and discover new insurance and finance companies. A variety of government agencies, unions and associations were also on hand in the event unique business start-up workshop, and were given advice and answering questions from those looking to enter the business and those already in it.

The National Limousine and Chauffeur Association and the Institute of Professional Drivers and Chauffeurs were all helping new operators with licensing advice and welcome a large number of new members to the association. The GMB Drivers Union was also on hand, and giving operators even more advice on issues such as driver working hours and sick pay.

Outside the hall, in industry’s first pre-owned gathering of limousines made its debut and was supported and sponsored by American Car Finance. This was the ideal opportunity for new and existing operators to browse round more than a hundred pre-owned limousines.

The organisers are now consulting with all the exhibitors and a selected number of visitors to create an advisory panel, and gather valuable feedback on how the event was run and how it can be further improved for 2009.

On the back of the event’s success, around 80% of exhibitors have pre-booked exhibition space for Chauffeur Drive ’09, which already promises to be a bigger and better event that last months.

Jaguar has announced a new dedicated programme for the chauffeur market offering an attractive package for chauffeurs who make the XJ long wheelbase their vehicle of choice, and ensures that’s buying, owning and maintaining a new Jaguar is an effortless experience.

David Spencer, Head of Jaguar Corporate Sales said: “The XJ long wheelbase is already a strong competitor in the rapidly expanding chauffeur market. It costs £6,000 less than its nearest competitor and has a Benefit-In-Kind rating of 32% making it best-in-class.

With strong residual values and whole life costs accompanied by support from the Jaguar Chauffeur Programme, chauffeurs can enjoy hassle free ownership and real world economy.”

The Jaguar Chauffeur Programme features four key benefits:

• Replacement vehicle — Should a chauffeur’s vehicle be off the road for any reason, Jaguar will provide a replacement. Chauffeur’s licensed in London will benefit from a PCO (Public Carriage Office) licensed replacement vehicle to minimise inconvenience.

• Priority servicing and repairs – An XJ long wheelbase purchased through the Jaguar Chauffeur Programme will take priority when servicing or repairs are required to ensure the driver is not inconvenienced in any way.

• Free membership for one year with Quintessentially Jaguar Global Concierge Service. — This will enable chauffeurs to offer their clients an additional service including access to exclusive restaurants, the most sought-after theatre tickets, last minute hotel reservations and more.

• Tailored finance options — To help with particular requirements for chauffeurs, Jaguar can now offer a range of tailored and bespoke finance options.

Additionally, Jaguar is offering a 48-hour demonstration loan (PCO licensed for London) for those considering the XJ long wheelbase as their vehicle. Priced from £47,292 for the 2.7-litre V6 Diesel Executive long wheelbase, the XJ is renowned for its all-aluminium body construction, state-of-the-art technologies and outstanding craftsmanship and build quality.

Since its launch, the model line-up has been extended to include the XJ long wheelbase, the special edition XJR Portfolio, the XJ armoured vehicle and the most-recently introduced XJ long wheelbase diesel.

The XJ’s Advanced construction means that the long-wheelbase model is lighter than many of its key competitors’ standard wheelbase platforms. Thanks to that reduced weight the car can accelerate faster, stop more quickly and turn more purposefully. And it achieves all this without compromising in other areas, for the new XJ range also benefits from superb fuel economy and range, improved rigidity and safety, as well as exceptional ride and comfort.

The XJ long wheelbase diesel executive has best-in class monthly whole life costs (£1,343), and second best residual values (41.62%). The XJ long wheelbase sovereign has best in class monthly whole life costs (£1,498) and the 3rd best residual values (40.16%), according to Emmox Carcost.

To find out more about Quintessentially, and how this service can really benefit you and your clients, please visit www.quintessentially.com

www.jaguar.co.uk/chauffeur

London ’s largest minicab, courier, chauffeur and coach company, Addison Lee is the latest organisation to join the growing roster of companies who are supporting Computer Aid International, the world’s largest and most experienced not-for profit provider of professionally refurbished PCs to communities and schools in developing countries.

Addison Lee has made an initial donation of 90 PCs to Computer Aid, who to date have shipped over 100,000 PCs to 106 developing countries. The first consignment of PCs donated by Addison Lee has already been shipped to the Ministry to Street Children, an organisation set up to help street children in Zambia.

They will be used to teach basic computer literacy skills to people from the local orphanage, the church community and school teachers, as well as introducing children from the kindergarten to computer games.

Lee Wickens, CSR and Quality Manager at Addison Lee said: “Addison Lee is committed to making a difference by reducing our impact on the environment and helping to reduce poverty at a local and global level through a number of initiatives, so it makes complete sense to partner with Computer Aid. Through Computer Aid International, we can dispose of our obsolete computer equipment in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible way without the worry that it’s going to end up in a landfill.

On top of this, our old equipment will go on to provide another four or five years service and really make a difference in the fight against poverty.”

“We are really pleased that Addison Lee are donating their surplus IT equipment to Computer Aid, 2007 saw many new high profile PC donors signing up to support our charity,” said Louise Richards, CEO, Computer Aid International.

“Computer donations from companies like Addison Lee can really help to make a difference to thousands of people who, with the right tools, can begin to work their way out of poverty.”

A GMB member has been assaulted and injured as two men, in their twenties, carjacked his Mercedes chauffeur vehicle last month.

One of the men struck a blow to the rear of the vehicle. The chauffeur driver, who was about to leave to pick up a passenger from the airport, got out to investigate.

As he was dealing with the man at the rear of the vehicle, a second man jumped into the driver’s seat and started to drive the vehicle away. The chauffeur attempted to stop him and was dragged by the moving vehicle for some distance before he lost his grip.

He suffered injuries minor injuries. He was treated in hospital. The victim was working at Heathrow Airport for a chauffeur company called Sovereign Chauffeurs based in Canary Wharf.

He is currently unable to work, due to his injuries. The stolen Mercedes S-Class car was later involved in a police chase. It was subsequently recovered after it had been crashed into a brick wall in West London.

Terence Flanagan, GMB Professional Drivers Branch Secretary said, “This vicious attack on our member and the carjacking of his vehicle comes days after GMB warned of the increasing violence being meted out by the public to professional drivers.

“GMB wants to see coordinated action by everybody involved in the industry to minimise and eliminate the avoidable risks to which members are exposed. GMB also wants to see CCTV in passenger vehicles and in the places where the cars wait for passengers.

GMB wants to see the specialist insurance companies who deal with professional drivers amending their insurance policies to cover the full gamut of the damages to drivers, their vehicles and their livelihoods that are now commonplace in the industry.

GMB will be seeking meetings with the relevant bodies to learn the lessons from this carjacking.”

Tristar Worldwide Chauffeur Services has told The Chauffeur that it completed a management buy out by the current board of directors on the 9th January.

Tristar is the largest chauffeur company in the UK, with an impressive portfolio of clients including several leading airlines and large blue chip organisations.

The company also operates in forty-two other countries worldwide through a network of affiliates, and launched a US operation at the beginning of 2006, providing service in eighty nine cities across the States as part of ongoing plans to further expand its worldwide presence.

The current management team has been in place for ten years, growing the company from a little known chauffeur operation to an international business, focussed on a consistently high level of service, that this year alone will carry over half a million passengers.

Octopus Investments, one of the fastest growing fund management companies in the UK and one of the largest VCT fund managers, supported the board of directors in the buyout.

The deal was led for Octopus by Andrew Cavaghan. He commented: “Tristar is the leading chauffeur operator in the UK with exciting opportunities to grow its brand overseas.

“We were particularly impressed by the quality of the management team, which stood out for a business of this size. They have achieved impressive year-on-year growth, more than doubling the size of the business over the past four years.

“We are pleased to have supported them in buying the business from the previous private investors and look forward to partnering with them in the next stage of growth for the business.”

Dean de Beer, Tristar’s CEO, said: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to buy the business we have been successfully running and expanding for the past ten years.

“We believe our commitment to providing a consistently high level of service has allowed us to grow Tristar into an international dual service business.

“We will continue to work by this philosophy to deliver the quality of product our customers have come to expect of Tristar, and to further develop the brand on a global scale.”

The first part of a new package of measures to help improve the safe operation of stretched limousines and keep unlawful vehicles off the road has been unveiled by Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick.

New guidance will sit alongside new stringent pre-registration checks coming into force in the summer to make sure stretched limousines with more than eight passenger seats meet GB safety and environmental standards.

Jim Fitzpatrick said: “The popularity of stretched limousines has soared in Britain and we are determined to ensure that they are used safely. We all know that limousines are great for parties, but it is important that these vehicles meet the required construction standards and are properly licensed and registered.

“This new guidance will help operators to ensure that their vehicles can lawfully be used on our roads. In the summer we will also be introducing a strict pre-registration check to help make sure unsafe stretched limos are kept off our roads.”

The new guidance — developed after seeking the views of the limousine industry — details the safety, registration and licensing requirements needed to be met before passengers can lawfully be carried.

The new pre-registration safety inspection will ensure that new larger limousines comply with GB construction standards. Only vehicles that meet strict requirements on weights, dimensions, turning circle, seating, brakes, tyres, doors, lamps and reflectors and glazing will be able to pass the inspection.

The publication of the guidance comes as the Government tightens the law around Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) licensing. From today, owners of vehicles with up to eight passenger seats — including limousines — which were previously considered exempt from PHV licensing under the “contract exemption” must be licensed as a PHV.

This means that passengers in these vehicles — including children or vulnerable adults — can be assured that the driver, vehicle and operator will have been through the proper checks.

How the regulations apply

1. Limousines are required to comply with safety standards appropriate to the number of  passengers that can be carried. The law also requires limousines which convey paying passengers to be licensed.

2. The Department considers that limousines with up to 8 passenger seats which have been issued with Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) certificate and correctly registered with DVLA are safe for road use and in most cases will be suitable for licensing as Private Hire Vehicles (PHV), so long as they are maintained properly.

3. A limousine with more than 8 passenger seats is required to have a Certificate of Initial Fitness (COIF) if it is to be used on the road to convey paying passengers commercially. These limousines are classed as Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) and their operators require a PSV Operator’s licence (O-licence) from the Traffic Commissioners

4. The new pre-registration check, due to come into force on 1 June 2008, will ensure vehicles with more than eight passenger seats without a COIF cannot be registered without meeting required safety and environmental standards. The check will be carried out by the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA).

5. At the same time the DfT will tighten the Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) scheme to withdraw the option to self-declare that a vehicle will not be used to carry more than eight seated passengers.

6. Section 53 of the Road Safety Act 2006 repeals section 75(1)(b) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous provisions) Act 1976 — “the contract exemption”. It comes into force on 28 January 2008. It applies in England and Wales (outside London). A similar provision which will bring PHVs dedicated to contract work in London (section 54) will come into force on 31 March 2008. The guidance note is on the Department’s web-site: www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/taxis/
rsa06privatehirevehicles

7. New guidance for limousine operators can be found at www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/taxis/limousines

LimousinesWorld from San Francisco is launching these new Mercedes S550 and E320 stretch Limousines, combining an elegant exterior reworking with a luxurious custom-designed interior.

Mercedes S550 and E320 Limousines are said to combine an impeccable finish with cushy and ultra comfortable ride. The elegantly crafted interior is spacious and engines amazingly quiet.

These high per formance S550 (petrol) and E320 (diesel) models can be had with a Keyless Go feature – allowing remotely unlocking the vehicle and starting the engine by way of the transponder encrypted with its unique ID.

Much of LimousinesWorld’s customer base purchases limousines for personal use, although they also supply corporations wishing to offer luxury transportation services to their clients or to their top executives.

Luxury hotels, casinos and government agencies also provide limousine shuttle service to their guests during their stay. The firm can assist European buyers with the homologation of the limousines purchased from the company.