News in brief - Wheels Within Wales

Two-thirds of drivers have told the AA that stress from Christmas shopping in town starts before they even get out of the car, according to the AA Populus survey of 7,380 drivers.
One in six (16pc) who drive to shopping centres in the run-up to Christmas say that finding a parking space at this time of year gets them seriously wound up and 11pc of those who find parking at shopping centres in the run-up to Christmas stressful saying that they have exchanged unpleasantries with other drivers in the car park.

Robert Bosch will "badly miss" its 2008 targets and expects no growth in 2009 as the global economic downturn hits home, the world's biggest automotive components supplier said on Friday.
"Our revenue will probably be slightly below last year's and will we have to lower our sights significantly for profits," CEO Franz Fehrenbach wrote in a letter to staff, reported by AutomotiveNews Europe. The company has already announced it's seeking redundancies at its Llantrisant plant.

Suppliers to the automotive industry are being urged by the government to investigate all the schemes intended to help businesses in the current economic climate.
Support for the supply chain was one of the issues raised at the recent meeting of industry leaders with the Secretary of State, Peter Mandelson and Business Minister, Ian Pearson.

Vauxhall has offered its Ellesmere Port workers the chance to take a sabbatical on 30pc pay.
Under the scheme, staff would stay away from work for up to nine months between January and September 2009 on less than a third of their basic salaries as the company wanted to avoid making any compulsory redundancies while trying to reduce unsold stock. If it’s taken up the company says it would consider a similar scheme for Saab and Opel in Europe as well as staff at its Luton UK headquarters.

Workplace parking charges are back on the Government’s agenda with the publication of a Department for Transport consultation document on regulations that would allow local councils to push ahead with schemes.
The Government first consulted on the idea of a workplace parking levy in December 1998. Primary powers allowing local authorities to introduce workplace parking levy schemes are in the 2000 Transport Act. But the legislation left some of the details of the legislative framework to be dealt with in regulations.

A century of Morgan cars is the highlight of next year’s 30th Footman James Bristol Classic Car Show on 7 & 8 February a the Royal Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet.
It will also feature the 50th anniversary of the Mini, the Marcos, Daimler Dart and 40 years of Ford Capri.

Manchester residents have voted overwhelmingly not to endorse plans for a congestion charge in the city.
Over £2.7 billion worth of public transport funding depended on a ‘yes’ vote and it will not get the money, which some described as “blackmail” by the government in a bid to force through the charging scheme.

Thatcham has rounded off the year in style scooping HRH Prince Michael of Kent ’s most prestigious ‘Premier’ road safety award.
Confirmed recently as a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award winner, representatives from Thatcham were surprised and delighted to be further honoured as the Prince’s ‘Premier’ award winners for 2008, particularly for work with research into whiplash injuries and electronic stability control systems.

Rinspeed will present a “1-2-3-seater” powered by a 130kw-electric motor, called iChange, at the Geneva motor show in March.
The concept car’s striking body structure adapts via “electronic trick-tail” to the number of passengers: while the sporty and streamlined teardrop shape seats only the driver, two more passengers may join him once the car’s rear end has risen as if by magic. In the blink of an eye the full-blooded sports car turns into a compact sportsvan.