Good Garage Scheme suggests you should visit - Tracks of Emotion

15th January until the 21st March 2010
Coventry Transport Museum

This exhibition shows the Peugeot Ryton Plant during the final production period. It is the end of an era and the end of the road for large scale car manufacturing in Coventry. Or is it?
At the Tracks of Emotion exhibition you will see a selection of images from around the factory.
The Good Garage Scheme have sponsored an image at the exhibition. You can have a look at the images yourself at http://www.lens-art-ltd.co.uk/

Good Garage Scheme reveals high level of trust from motorists in good independent garages

Motorists are being driven by quality and value-for-money vehicle servicing rather than the cheapest price, according to a new survey.

A poll of 1000 motorists answering questions on the UK-wide Good Garage Scheme website – http://www.goodgaragescheme.com/ - has revealed that the majority of motorists using its member garages for vehicle servicing are not motivated by price alone.

Figures in the Good Garage Scheme Service Pricing Statistics Survey showed that 37% of customers pay between £125-£150 for a vehicle service, while 20% pay £200 and more. Motorists paying the lowest prices from £80-£125 totalled 25.1 per cent.

The feedback has shown that even in a recession people have not necessarily been looking to pay the cheapest price for vehicle servicing. They do, however, want a good quality service without paying over the odds, which is what Good Garage Scheme members can offer.

Good Garage Scheme recommends a gem of a website

Transport Direct is the only website that offers information for door-to-door travel for both car journeys and public transport around Britain. Their aim is to provide you with comprehensive, easy-to-use travel information to help you plan your journeys effectively and efficiently.

Transport Direct is unique in that you can:
• Compare public transport options with a car route to find a way of travelling which best suits your needs.
• Obtain a car route that takes into account predicted traffic levels at different times of the day so that you can make informed decisions about when to travel.
• Get an estimate of the cost of a car journey.

http://www.transportdirect.info/

Vehicle recalls and safety notices

If a fault is discovered in a vehicle after manufacturing it might be subject to a recall. To find out if your vehicle is subject to a recall use the VOSA recalls database.
Latest vehicle recalls
There have been a number of Toyota vehicle recalls lately. Vehicles that have been recalled for faulty accelerator mechanisms are:
• Toyota AYGO
• Toyota iQ
• Toyota Yaris
• Toyota Auris
• Toyota Corolla
• Toyota Verso
• Toyota Avensis
The Toyota Prius is being recalled for an alteration to be made to its braking system.
For more information on the Toyota recalls visit the Toyota UK website.

Good Garage Scheme tips to help you if we see any more ice and snow!

Before you set off:

1. Plan your journey ahead – consult a route planner, but also keep an up-to-date roadmap in your car.


2. Remove all ice and snow from your vehicle.


3. Do not drive having cleared only a small area of your windscreen - it is illegal to drive with poor visibility.


4. Ensure your mobile phone is fully-charged in case of a breakdown.


5. Use de-icer to clear your windows – hot water may crack the glass. Keep the de-icer and scraper in the car.


6. Fill-up with more than enough fuel for your journey. Drivers use more fuel when driving in stop/start conditions.


7. If you are planning a long journey remember - a flask of warm drink, blanket, boots, spade and a torch.

A S Motors Ltd joins Britain’s best garages on the Good Garage Scheme

A local independent garage in the Highbridge area has joined a UK-wide member scheme which aims to raise standards in the motor repairs industry.

A S Motors Ltd has become a member of the nationally recognised Good Garage Scheme which has over 2,800 independent garage members operating throughout the UK. The scheme was launched in 2006 to show that the motor trade does offer value for money and can be trusted. The Good Garage Scheme does this by requiring that its members adhere to a strict Code of Conduct and offer a 50-point Industry Standard Service. This, coupled with a customer feedback system, and a five-star rating system, means that customers have peace of mind when choosing an independent garage.

Mr D Hunt, of A S Motors Ltd, said: “We are an established business and joining the Good Garage Scheme offers our existing customers and potential new ones a brand that is now easily recognised for maintaining the highest industry standards. Customers can also book their service online and give feedback. The scheme takes away any worries that motorists might have when choosing a garage.”

Anndi Sheppard, campaign manager of the Good Garage Scheme, said: “We are delighted to welcome A S Motors Ltd as a member of the Good Garage Scheme. The scheme is going from strength to strength, with an ever increasing number of members ensuring millions of motorists receive the highest quality work from independent garages and workshops.”


See A S Motors cutomer Feedback on the Good Garage Scheme website http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/feedback/index.php?id=5022

Good Garage Scheme supports the petition to the Prime Minister for fuel duty reduction

When VAT was temporarily reduced to 15%, the Chancellor added 2% duty to fuel to offset the reduction in tax collected from motorists. Now that VAT has been increased to 17.5% again this hidden tax has not been removed - hence recent rises in your fuel costs. Sign the petition at the link below to have this stealth tax removed!

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/DutyReduction/

Please pass this on to your friends - the more the merrier.

Good Garage Scheme News - Motorways could face 60mph speed limit

Did you know that the government is currently considering a permanent speed limit of 60mph across 250 miles of motorway? If the plan gets the go ahead, the change will materialise over the next five years.
In addition to the rolling out of 'hard shoulder' running on busy stretches will be the introduction of speed sensors buried in the road surface and additional average speed check cameras to enforce these speed restrictions. Speed limits will be displayed on overhead gantries.
At present the plan will affect stretches of the M1, M3, M4, M6, M23, M40 and M42 as well as looking to control the whole of the M25.
So, you ask, is your commute just about to get longer? According to the Secretary of State for Transport's report the controlled motorway proposal is being considered to produce more reliable journey times, and reduce accidents through a more effective flow of traffic.
Read more from the Department for Transport's report here http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/246142/

Good Garage Scheme Unveils Women-only car parks trial

Good Garage Scheme has noted according to a recent survey, 77% of the UK public support the idea of women-only car parks.
The survey follows the recent opening of a women-only multi-storey car park in China and it seems this could soon become reality in the UK if results from the poll by car supermarket, Motorpoint, are anything to go by.
The shopping mall car park in China's Hebei province is open only to the fairer sex and has been specifically designed with the woman driver in mind. On the safety front, the car park features extra lighting and security monitoring equipment.



This photo published on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, shows a parking lot decorated in pink and purple colors, which has been designated for women only at a shopping center in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. [Hebei Youth Daily]

Good Garage Scheme reveals 2009 best selling cars

The chart compiled by SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) lists the top ten selling cars for 2009 out of the 1,994,99 new cars registered.
The Good Garage Scheme found that the car scrappage scheme influenced sales, as one in every five new cars sold can be attributed to it.
Registrations for new cars however fell below 2m, the lowest since 1995. But if it hadn't of been for the car scrappage scheme the impact on car sales would have been significantly worse.
The 2009 best sellers...
1. Ford Fiesta (117,296 sales)
2. Ford Focus (93,517 sales)
3. Vauxhall Corsa (84,478 sales)
4. Vauxhall Astra (67,729 sales)
5. VW Golf (57,187 sales)
6. Peugeot 207 (48,037 sales)
7. Mini (39,866 sales)
8. BMW 3-series (39,029 sales)
9. Vauxhall Insignia (36,040 sales)
10. Ford Mondeo (34,418 sales)