POSTS PORTFOLIO SEARCH SHOP
SEARCH
SHOP
  • Your Cart Is Empty!
Mike Bailey, CAVA Finance 0161 222 9599
Coach, Minibus/Coach Finance

Rigby’s Mini Travel’s Positive News

By on

11/Feb/2021

- Coach, Minibus/Coach Finance

At a time when many people are experiencing a low in terms of motivation and positivity, CAVA is once again amazed by the resilience of our clients and has another brilliant story to share.

 

The transport and travel industry has changed dramatically over the last year, with minibuses, coaches and taxis all operating only for essential travel, rather than a combination of leisure and necessity.

 

For CAVA Finance this has been challenging, to see an area we work closely with, hit so hard by the pandemic. Yet our clients are full of surprises and have reminded us to look for the positives during this time.

 

Dave Rigby of Rigby’s Mini Travel Ltd of Moreton, Wirral, recently got in touch to share how he’s made the most of the changes brought on by lockdown, a truly inspirational story to share!

 

“I haven’t driven my minibus since March 2020 as the majority of my work in transport is looking after people coming from Malta for football and holidays.

I started working voluntarily for Clatterbridge Cancer Hospital, Wirral at the start of the first lockdown and have been very fortunate that they took me on full time in August 2020. I now deliver medication to patient’s houses all over the Northwest.

I also decided to start Slimming World in August 2020 as I had reached 30 stone 11 pounds, as of yesterday I’m now down to 22 stone 13 pounds. There’s still a long way to go but I am half-way to my goal!

When this virus is over, I should be able to start my business back up as well as keeping the job at the hospital which I am really enjoying.”

 

Thanks for sharing Dave!

 

We are so grateful to our clients, for continuing to provide essential maintenance or travel services or deliver food and medication to those in need. We know not everyone is as fortunate, we’re equally grateful to those who are using this time to find new skills, develop new habits and provide inspiration for the rest of us.

 

 If you have a story to share, please get in touch as we’d much rather deliver good news stories than the doom and gloom the industry is battling through at the moment!

0
Coach, Commercial, Minibus/Coach Finance, News

A Review of the Electric Vehicle Market – The Rise of the EV

By on

11/Feb/2021

- Coach, Commercial, Minibus/Coach Finance, News

Back in June 2019 we reported on the increasing popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles, with predictions that by 2040, electric vehicles will dominate the transport market.

 

With a combination of both environmental and cost benefits, EVs remain a growing trend and we’re seeing more and more companies exploring these options when looking to finance a new vehicle, from commercial vans to private hire, minibus and coaches.

 

We now have much more knowledge of the EV industry than we did a few years ago, with finance and insurance options becoming more easily accessible and our knowledge of finance viability increasing.

 

We’ve seen several large corporations pledge to ‘Go Green’ with their fleets, with companies such as Ford and Amazon pledging to embrace electric vehicles. Ford is releasing it’s all electric Ford E Transit for trial in various European markets this year, with the vehicle being available on mass next year.

 

Amazon have recently rolled out 20 electric delivery vans in Exeter as part of their pledge to be net zero carbon by 2040. This has allowed independent logistics companies who work with Amazon to benefit from access to these vehicles and doing their bit for the environment.

 

2020 was a record year for sales of both battery and plug-in hybrid vehicles, making up 1 in 10 vehicle registrations during 2020, compared to 1 in 30 during 2019, all despite an overall 30% decrease in new car sales following the impact of the pandemic.

 

During the last year, our buying habits have certainly changed, and we’ve seen trends in purchasing emerging such as an increase in demand for Motor Homes and a more conscious thought to our environment and lifestyles.

 

We once again spoke with Neil Cadd of Chadderton Motor Company to gain an update on his perspective of the direction of the EV industry.

 

“In the space of a few short months and whilst we have been under the COVID cloud, the EV world has perhaps come to the forefront of people’s thoughts perhaps a little sooner than would have been expected.

 

Many manufacturers are now releasing details of their EV products that we will see on the roads by the end of 2021 and many courier and delivery companies are taking this on board as they know they need to be seen using environmentally friendly vehicles and perhaps have a slightly different agenda from the local shopkeeper or tradesman when it comes to operating this type of vehicle.

 

The suitability of putting an EV on to your fleet isn’t for everyone, with the current payload and range issues mean that there isn’t an EV for every job and if that is the case then so be it but there will be in time.

 

The more ultra-low emission zones that are announced by towns and cities around the country will mean that businesses have to make the switch to EV but on the flip side running an EV in these areas will prove to be a cost saving over a traditional petrol or diesel vehicle, as is the case in London.

What we ask our customers and potential customers to sit and fully consider all the options when looking at an EV and to look further than the capital cost which can prove to be off putting especially with the larger vehicles. Whole life costs must be taken into account such as road fund licence, maintenance costs, fuel comparisons, grants, downtime when being serviced, congestion charges, residual values all need to be considered when thinking of making the switch.

 

One of, if not the biggest objection that comes from customers is range anxiety, however, this is in many cases a fallacy one customer of ours found his van “which he was out in all day” covered on average less than 80 miles a day so no need to be anxious about it and with over 450 charge points per month opening around the country this really isn’t an issue.

 

Finance companies are now coming to terms with these vehicles and more are offering options to customers through hire purchase, lease and contract hire schemes making them a sound choice once the prospective owner has done their homework properly, analysed their daily usage, and compared costs to realise that it would work for them but as I said before it isn’t for everyone…… yet!”

 

Our future has been front of mind and business owners who have been looking to expand their fleets are considering sustainability and longevity in addition to cost.

 

We’ve previously touched on the Government’s pledge to shift to zero emission cars and to create more desire around these options, company car drivers can benefit from zero or low tax rates as well as a 0% Benefit in Kind rate.

 

Fully electric cars which don’t produce CO2 have dropped from a BIK rate 16% to 0%, which could result in substantial savings for tax payers over the year. In addition, vehicles which produce higher emissions have had the BIK rate raised.

 

Benefits of EVs

 

– Low road tax

– Government Grants for charging ports

– Zero fuel costs

 

We’ve already seen a shift in the public and private hire transport market towards electrification, with operators such as National Express using EVs. Operators are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their vehicles and it’s clear to see the demand for EVs isn’t slowing.

 

If you’re looking to expand your fleet, have you considered an electric vehicle?

 

With more changes and regulations coming into force in the next few years, we’ll likely see higher rates for more pollutant producing vehicles, meaning an EV or hybrid could be a more suitable long term investment in terms of running costs and benefits.

 

If you’re looking to expand your fleet and want to discuss sustainable, electrical transportation options, please get in touch and we can work with you and your finance requirements as well as introduce you to a trusted supplier.

0
Coach, Minibus/Coach Finance

Keeping the Community Going – Tayforth Travel

By on

16/Jul/2020

- Coach, Minibus/Coach Finance

We recently worked once again with Paul Cruickshanks of Tayforth Travel to secure finance on a VW Transporter Shuttle to expand their luxury minibus travel fleet. We were introduced some time ago by David Fishwick in Colne and have since worked together for several purchases of various minibuses for their growing company.

The company is based in Falkirk in Scotland and are a big part of the community, providing tours of the local area’s tourist attractions alongside minicoach hire for all occasions and travel needs.

CAVA Finance is proud to have helped the company to grow during a difficult time and it’s great to see some normality resuming, with their new shuttle recently providing the transport for a customer’s golf trip to Drumoig Golf Centre in St Andrews, as seen in the photo below.

Tayforth Travel

Tayforth Travel is one of the many minibus, coach and taxi companies that have proved themselves to be invaluable during a crisis.

From helping key workers to ensuring the most vulnerable in society are cared for, transport companies have gone above and beyond what’s expected of them in order to keep communities functioning.

Paul kindly shared his story of how they’ve coped with the pandemic.

“Thanks again to Mike Bailey at CAVA Finance for helping us finance our new bus.

The coronavirus has hit us hard with the loss of tours, football hires, golf outings, airport transfers and schools.

We are fortunate that our local councils in Falkirk and West Lothian have been really good supporting us through these difficult times.

We have been doing some work at a special needs school and with the NHS and some voluntary work with Falkirk Football Club delivering food parcels to the elderly and needy.

We are one of the lucky coach operators that have survived some have not been so lucky.

Looking forward to returning back to normal, hopefully sometime soon.”

As you can see, Paul and the company are a big part of the Falkirk community, from providing transport to supporting their local football club, Falkirk FC. 

We’re looking forward to seeing all our customers again soon, in the meantime we are here to continue to provide advice and assistance around your next vehicle purchases. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to discuss your options.

0
Coach, Hints & Tips, News

Where is the motor finance industry heading?

By on

16/Jul/2020

- Coach, Hints & Tips, News

Back in April, the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) were due to implement new motor finance rules in their final ruling. However, in the midst of the pandemic, these rules have been delayed till around October this year.

The new rulings relate primarily to the relationship between dealerships and finance bodies and aims to give customers more clarity, allowing them to make more informed decisions regarding their vehicle purchases.

Like many other industries across the country, business in the car finance arena has suffered, dropping by around 94% according to the FLA. This is in stark contrast to figures from 2018 which saw the motor finance industry in the UK reach £64Bn, resulting in it being the third largest lending sector.

FCA Announcements

The FCA recently announced proposals to continue to support those with motor finance agreements. You may recall that we provided some information around ‘payment holidays’ right at the start of lockdown, if you’ve not yet requested a freeze and would like to, the deadline to apply has now been extended to 31st of October 2020.

9 out of 10 new vehicles are funded by some variation of a finance plan in the UK, meaning many across the country may be struggling when we take into consideration the impact of furlough or redundancies, this is what has spurred on these temporary measures being announced, to support motor finance customers.

There have been some positives in the last month or so, despite online vehicle sales increasing during lockdown, with the re-opening of dealerships, the used car market managed to wiggle back to pre-lockdown levels last month, with growth of 13.3%.

How will this impact vehicle values?

Vehicle values have also remained reasonably stable throughout lockdown which will benefit those in PCP agreements or those looking to change vehicle at the end of their finance agreement.

Some interesting factors to consider around the growth of the industry in the coming months focuses on the public’s view of using public transport. Will we see a decline in rail and bus travel as people opt to travel by car?

Boosting the Motor Finance Industry

The Government also recently announced a £73.5million fund to boost ‘green economic recovery in the automotive sector’.

This will benefit a range of vehicles from personal cars to taxis and vans, with funding being used to research and develop cutting edge technology and recyclable batteries, which can cut carbon emissions. Low emission cars and commercial vehicles will be manufactured in greater volumes with the contribution of this funding.

In addition to helping the UK stay on track with its pledge to be emission free by 2050, the funding will see 14,000 research and manufacturing jobs protected, boosting the economy.

We’ve been delighted to have seen several customers grow and expand their fleet with new commercial vehicles during the pandemic and CAVA is confident that we’ll continue to see resilience from the industry in the coming months.

We’ll keep you updated with any major changes but in the meantime if you require any impartial, no obligation advice, or if you’re considering your options but don’t know where to start, please get in touch. You can call Mike on 0161 222 9599 or use our contact form and he’ll be happy to discuss your needs.

0
Coach, Minibus/Coach Finance, Taxis

Motor Dealers Re-Open Their Doors

By on

03/Jun/2020

- Coach, Minibus/Coach Finance, Taxis

The first of June saw the first glimpse of normality resuming for the UK with slight eases of lockdown restrictions being lifted.

Some schools re-opened, people are able to socialise in groups of six in an outdoor space and some non-essential businesses were able to reopen.

Car showrooms were amongst those opening their doors to the public for the first time since lockdown measures were implemented. The motor industry is taking huge steps to ensure the safety of both staff and customers as dealerships re-open.

It’s been a long 10 weeks and we’ve certainly seen how the industry can adapt, with an increase in business being conducted online over this period.

With public transport use being discouraged during lockdown, there has been a significant impact on the travel industry, which we will hopefully have some updates on towards the end of June. Whilst public transport has been discouraged, this could explain a boost in sales amongst cheaper new model vehicles or used vehicles.

We work closely with a select few, trusted dealerships including David Fishwick who have kindly provided us with an update outlining the preparation they’ve taken to reopen.

“David Fishwick, the Minibus specialists have always operated on a national basis due to the specialist nature of their product range and are gearing up to re-open their showroom and also resume with delivery of vehicles within the coming days, having put measures in place to adhere to distancing guidelines during both the preparation and handover process to protect their customers and members of staff.

Matt Eames, Business development manager advises that despite some short term disruption caused by COVID-19, their order book has been largely unaffected with demand for new & used EuroVI compliant minibuses in particular being very high across both commercial and non-profit sectors. Whilst the Tourism industry is seeing changes in level of demand, the feedback from their customers is that new opportunities are opening up providing travel for small groups of passengers who do not want to use public transport – a role in which a flexible small vehicle can excel.

Key suppliers including vehicle and component manufacturers are back at work and scheduling revised delivery dates, allowing the coach building arm of the business to re-start from 1st June, with a range of new passenger and driver screening options in the final stages of development to help the end users operate the vehicles safely.”

We’re very much looking forward to continuing to work with David Fishwick! CAVA has fortunately remained functional throughout lockdown, but we understand the uncertainty surrounding the last few months has caused many companies to put certain plans on hold.

We’d like to reassure all clients and future clients that we are here to offer impartial, no obligation advice, so if you’re considering your options but don’t know where to start, please get in touch. You can call Mike on 0161 222 9599 or use our contact form and he’ll be happy to discuss your needs.

0
Assets, Coach, Commercial, Hints & Tips, Minibus/Coach Finance, News

What are my payment options if I have a business finance agreement?

By on

07/Apr/2020

- Assets, Coach, Commercial, Hints & Tips, Minibus/Coach Finance, News

One of the questions I’ve been asked a lot by clients over the last few weeks has been surrounding payment options for the vehicle or asset they have on finance.


With many businesses impacted, from coach companies who can longer operate the school run to maintenance companies whose equipment cannot be used until restrictions are lifted, keeping up monthly payments is an area of concern.

If we’ve already spoken, then you will be aware that the finance companies are treating this situation with sympathy and have been very accommodating to those who are looking for a solution.

What are the options around my payments?

Many finance companies are offering our customers the option to either defer or reduce payments. You may have seen the defer option referred to as a ‘payment holiday’.

How does this work?

As an example, if you have a 24-month contract in place that had just started this month and were offered 3 months of deferred payments from now, you would be left with 21 months.

Rather than your contract ending in April 2022, it would end in July 2022. The ‘holiday’ means the unpaid months are added to the end of your agreement.

What do I need to be aware of?

You need to be aware that finance companies are treating every case on an individual basis and will be assessing business disruption based upon your own circumstances. Incremental interest may also be added.

The main thing to consider right now is the future of your company. Taking a holiday from payments may seem like a good idea now but if you can continue to pay, perhaps at a reduced rate, would that be more appropriate? Again, this is entirely dependent on individual circumstances and cashflow.

Another factor to consider is to diversify your market. Now you may have more time to be able to focus on planning for the future, are there other avenues you could consider, or industries you could service to help you spread the risk and avoid focusing on one sole source of income?

It is great to have a niche but in when we’re faced with a situation like the one we find ourselves in, it is safer to have a range of customers and suppliers rather than rely on one for all your revenue, because if something happens to them, it impacts you much more.

With many clients contacting their finance provider at this time, be aware that you will face delays and that on average they’re taking around 10 days to look at individual cases with such a high volume of enquiries to assess.

If you need to discuss payment options, please don’t hesitate to contact me initially for some further advice on the above if this would be useful for you and then you may be in a better position to discuss with the finance provider.

0
Coach, Minibus/Coach Finance, News

The Driving Force of Community Spirit

By on

25/Mar/2020

- Coach, Minibus/Coach Finance, News

In a time where everything seems to have been flipped on it’s head, businesses are struggling and people’s daily lives are disrupted, it’s important to make the best out of a bad situation.

Longstanding customer A&A Travel (Sussex) Ltd have done exactly that. Following on from last Friday’s school closures around the country and Monday’s announcement of more significant lockdown measures, the company are doing all they can for their community.

These measures have resulted in unexpected availability of drivers and vehicles, where they would previously have been on the school run or providing transport for commuters.

Based in Sussex, the company have been providing transport to their community for 20 years. Many of their passengers fall into the elderly or vulnerable category. To give back, A&A put in place a free transport service to those who need it most.

“In these difficult times, we want to do our part to give something back to the community, and to our valued customers.”


Of course, with the daily announcements from the Government altering people’s usual routines and them recently imploring people to remain at home, this service will no longer be able to operate for the public in the same way.

However, A&A haven’t stopped there. In between sanitising their vehicles and ensuring passengers are seated a safe distance apart, they’re looking after our NHS and other important key workers.

“We also want to give something back to all those working hard in the NHS, Emergency Services, and “Key Worker” communities.”

Their commitment takes care of the transportation for key workers and their children, including;

– Transporting children of Key workers to School

– Rail Replacement, including emergency

– Transporting Key workers to & from work

– Patient Transport for hospitals

The company have noted on their Facebook page that they are in talks with the Council, Police, Local MP’s and Hospitals about how they could also offer further services or potentially adapt their vehicles to help a greater number of people.

If you have any contacts in East or West Sussex who may benefit from A&A Travel’s generous contribution to essential travel, please get in touch with them here.

We’re also keen to find out what our other clients are doing at the minute. If you have a story to share which could give someone a well needed boost, we want to spread positive news. Please get in touch here.

CAVA Finance is operating as usual during this time, albeit from the home office, and happy to assist with any queries!

0
Coach

Public Transport and Accessibility – How will PSVAR impact your coach company?

By on

26/Feb/2020

- Coach

New legislation was introduced in January which could have a direct impact on you if you are a coach operator. You’ll likely already be aware of this but if you’re looking to purchase a new coach for future use, then you’ll need to consider your compliance to these provisions.

PSVAR (Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations) applies specifically to coaches which carry more than 22 passengers and were registered prior to 2000. If you’re using an older coach for shorter journeys, such as school transport services, then you may need to update your current coach.

This legislation details that coaches with over 22 seats who provide a local or scheduled transport service, must be accessible to passengers, this includes wheelchair accessibility and more general accessibility such as handrails, seat specifications and steps.

Coaches with 22 seats or less are exempt from the legislation. We recently worked once again with a longstanding customer, A&A Travel (Sussex) Ltd. The company have made a new purchase which now means they are compliant with the new PSVAR legislation and can continue to operate. The addition to their company has allowed them to generate greater turnover and profit, whilst ensuring they are following legislation. You can read Nick’s testimonial from working with CAVA here.

The failure to provide a safe, comfortable and accessible environment for disabled people who are using a public service vehicle, is a criminal offence under the Equality Act. There is criticism towards the Government for the delays in implementing the same regulations on trains. This also applies to rail replacement services, whereby a coach would be used as an alternative.

Have you experienced any issues relating to inaccessibility on public transport? We’d be interested to discuss with coach operators how the transition has been to provide compliant services. If you’re looking for your next coach, ensure you’re also aware of the Euro 6 rules which will impact coach travel across major cities in the UK, you can find out more here. 

If you’d like any further advice on compliant vehicles and are looking to expand your fleet, contact Mike at CAVA Finance on 0161 222 9599.

0
Coach

How will Legislation around Cleaner Air Impact on Coach Companies?

By on

26/Feb/2020

- Coach

Cleaner air can only be a good thing, but there a lot to consider if your business in terms of environmental impact, if you’re a minibus, coach or taxi operator.

The Euro 6 Clean Air Legislation is being introduced in major cities around the UK, starting with London in April last year, with the Ultra Low Emission Zone being introduced to reduce pollution.  

The timing coincides with the best time to start thinking about expanding your business as an operator. With the weather picking up, the demand from customers is usually higher for trips and holidays where private hire transport plays a big part. Whether it’s airport drop offs, sight seeing tours or coach trips, there’s plenty of demand, but do you have the right vehicle?

If you’re looking to purchase a new coach, minibus or taxi in the near future then you’ll need to be aware that new criteria and specifications that must be met in order for you to comply with EU legislation.

Plans are all set for 2021 to expand the cities in which the Euro 6 compliance will be introduced, starting with Leeds and Manchester. Other major cities, primarily busy, tourist focused cities, will likely be required to adhere by new standards first. Naturally, there is more pollution in more congested cities, hence the introduction of the standards in larger cities.

What can you do? Well, it’s time to think about upgrading and up-speccing! You’ll need to meet the standards by law if you want to keep operating and continue to trade. Your passengers would likely opt for a different coach company if they knew that your company couldn’t complete the journey due to not being able to enter a Clean Air Zone!

There are both economic and engineering elements to these changes which will impact your business. Large bus and coach operators such as Arriva are already implementing ‘conversion kits’ into their buses to ensure they are compliant and reduce the disruption to their services.

It might seem like old news to you if you’ve already planned ahead an ensured that any new vehicles you’ve purchased are already compliant with the new standards, but if you’ve not needed a new vehicle until now, then it’s time to consider going green!

If you’re unsure on the specifications required, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll arrange for you to speak with our trusted suppliers of coaches and minibuses. Stay ahead of your competition and don’t get left behind. If you’re looking to expand and introduce a new vehicle to your fleet, you can contact Mike on 0161 222 9599.

 

 

0
PREVIOUS POSTSPage 1 of 2NO NEW POSTS