One of the longest serving chief constables in the UK has said that she believes middle-class motorists are hypocritical when it comes to speeding on the roadways. Julie Spence, outgoing head of Cambridgeshire Police, said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph that most motorists believe speeding is acceptable, unless they have the misfortune of experiencing a vehicle tragedy and losing a loved one.

Mrs Spence said that speeding is anti-social behaviour which has been normalised by the middle-class, and that most individuals who speed believe that they should be able to get away with it. She went on to say that everything is usually fine with speeding, at least in the minds of those who go faster than the law allows, until their child dies in a road accident,… Read the full story

by Cooper Anderson on August 10th, 2010

A recent survey conducted by leading UK comparison site Carrentals has found that car hire rates in the European Union (EU) are now 30 per cent higher, on average, than they were the same time last year. The data was compiled from the 10 most popular EU holiday destination spots and are based on the average daily bookings from March and May of this year compared with the same period in 2009.

According to Gareth Robinson, managing director for Carrentals, the large increase in rental rates is primarily due to the inability of car hire firms to get sufficient funding from banks to increase their fleets, which in turn has made the supply too low to accommodate the high demand. He went on to say that the most notable rate… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on August 9th, 2010

Hertz, the leading international airport car hire firm, has announced that it has extending its long-lasting partnership with Air France for an additional three years. The two groups have been working together since Air France became the first European airline to partner with the US car hire giant 21 years ago.

The continued partnership will allow Air France customers to benefit from preferential rates from Hertz, as well as up to 800 bonus miles per rental for Flying Blue members. Travellers who fly frequently with Air France will also be able to enjoy membership with the Hertz #1 Gold Club programme, which allows for fast track rentals throughout the 8,200 global Hertz locations.

According to Michael Taride, President of Hertz International, his firm’s partnership with Air France over the course… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on August 6th, 2010

Hertz Global Holdings Inc, chief executive Mark P Frissora has announced that his firm could see savings of up to $180 million, 70 per cent of which would come in the first year, after the purchase of budget rental firm Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. Hertz made the offer on Dollar Thrifty in April at $41 per share, or a total of $1.2 billion, although rival Avis recently made an offer of its own to buy the highly coveted car hire company of $1.3 billion, or $46.50 a share.

During a conference call, Mr Frissora claimed that a large majority of the savings would come through the consolidation of fleets between Hertz and Dollar Thrifty, as well as the merging of information technologies and general finance operations. According to Mr Frissora,… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on August 5th, 2010

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group has announced stronger than expected sales for the second quarter, leading to a net earnings-per-share (EPS) of $1.26, 10 cents higher than the previously estimated figure of $1.16. The firm enjoyed growth in rental revenue of two per cent, and predicts that the second half of the year see increased success, with growth estimates of four to five per cent.

According to Dollar Thrifty chief executive Scott Thompson, his firm has experienced profitable revenue growth since May, and the Dollar Thrifty reservation book is solid. He went on to add that analysts at his firm predict future growth due to an expanding overall economy as well as increased consumer expenditures in the travel industry.

Dollar Thrifty has found itself in the centre of car hire news… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on August 4th, 2010

Paris, the European Union city known for its environmentally-friendly policies, including Velib, the bicycle sharing program, will unveil Autolib, a mammoth car-sharing program, set to debut in September of next year. Autolib, short for auto liberte, will grant residents the ability to use electric cars whenever they need to travel around the City of Lights, and officials hope the initiative will even further reduce the carbon emissions and city traffic in Paris, the latter of which is already down a whopping 25 per cent since the introduction of Velib in 2001.

According to Paris deputy mayor Annick Lepetit, once Autolib is rolled-out in Paris, it may ultimately lead to citizens forsaking their own automobiles entirely. Deputy Mayor Lepetit said that although Parisians will occasionally need vehicles to travel around the… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on August 3rd, 2010

Hertz has captured the top honours for a car hire firm in Australia for the fourth straight year, as it was named Best Car & Campervan Rental Operator in the country’s National Travel Industry Awards. The recognition comes from travel professionals in Australia who vote on the best individuals and suppliers in the industry each year.

According to Jacqueline Lehmann, Region Vice President and Managing Director for Hertz Australia, her company is honoured to once again be named as the best car rental provider in the country by its travel industry colleagues. She went on to add that last year when Hertz received its third top prize in a row, it was inducted into the Australian Federation of Travel Agents Hall of Fame, and to follow that up with another… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on August 2nd, 2010

Road safety group RoadSafe has warned motorists of the potentially fatal consequences of driving while being too sleepy, and advises that those who get behind the wheel this summer make sure that they are well-rested. According to the safety group, driver sleepiness is responsible for over 300 deaths each year in the UK, not to mention that the condition causes 20 per cent of the accidents on major roads, as acknowledged by the Department for Transport.

The RoadSafe warning also acknowledged the dangers of microsleeps, or short two to 30 second mini-naps that most individuals are unaware that they experience, although they can occur frequently among motorists who start trips in the early hours of the morning. Microsleeps can also occur while driving on monotonous roadways, according to Roadsafe. The… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 30th, 2010

The National Urban League was awarded $3 million by the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation. The award was given by the charitable division of Enterprise Rent-A-Car in support of the Urban League’s Whitney M Young Jr Centre for Urban Leadership, which is an initiative to promote the growth and development of future leaders.

Marc H Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, said that Enterprise has historically been a significant partner in helping to develop and inspire the future business leaders in the US. He went on to add that his organisation is extremely grateful for the support of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

According to Enterprise Holdings Chairman and CEO Andy Taylor, his firm is pleased to continue its support of the National Urban League in its efforts to change lives and… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 29th, 2010

Hertz has announced that it is opening a Gulf Coast Customer Care Centre to assist those going to the Gulf region to help cleanup activities related to the BP oil spill. The car hire giant is catering to the many business travellers, government employees, and retail customers who will need SUVs and other cleanup related equipment, as well as the typical rental cars the firm usually provides.

According to Mark P Frissora, Hertz chief executive, his company has been trying to provide the best possible service to those in the Gulf since the beginning of the current environmental crisis. He went on to say that the creation of the Gulf Coast Customer Care Centre will help facilitate the clean-up efforts through Hertz’s ability to provide car rental and other equipment… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 28th, 2010