6:36 am, June 29, 2020
- Here’s your business, motoring and news round-up for Monday, June 29
McDonald’s to install EV chargers
Customers will be given the chance to power up their EVs in the car parks of McDonald’s drive-thrus after the fast food giant announced plans to install hundreds of charging points at its UK sites.
While they munch on their fries, diners will be able to plug their cars into the new ports, which can provide up to an 80 per cent charge in under 20 minutes, McDonald’s said.
The project, which is a partnership with InstaVolt, will give drivers many more places to stop off when travelling up and down the country. Read more here.
Leicester local lockdown fears
Coronavirus testing data will be discussed at a meeting this morning between Leicester’s mayor and government officials amid suggestions a local lockdown could be imposed on the city.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and the council’s director of public health Ivan Browne will be present to examine the data behind a local surge in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks.
Sir Peter said the council was only provided with detailed testing information for the first time on Thursday. Almost 3,000 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in Leicester since the start of the coronavirus epidemic. Of these, 866 cases were reported in the last two weeks.
More speeding drivers caught when lockdown started
There was a 71 per cent spike in the number of speeding drivers pulled over by the UK’s largest police force when the coronavirus lockdown started, new figures show.
Metropolitan Police officers issued 3,282 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) to drivers suspected of exceeding the limit during April, according to data obtained by the PA news agency through a Freedom of Information request.
That is compared with just 1,922 during April 2019. Drivers who receive a TOR for speeding are sent on an educational course, fined or summoned to appear in court, depending on the severity of the case.
Seoul considers new lockdown measures as virus cases climb
South Korea has reported 42 new infections of Covid-19 as infections steadily climb in the greater capital area, forcing authorities to consider stronger social restrictions.
The figures announced by the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday brought the national caseload to 12,757, including 282 deaths.
Twenty-four of the new cases were reported from capital Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, which have been at the centre of a virus resurgence since late May. At least 12 of the new cases were linked to international arrivals.
Late payment crisis facing smaller firms worsened
A late payment crisis affecting smaller firms has worsened during the economic lockdown, according to a new report.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said its research showed that most small firms have been affected by late payment as a result of Covid-19, seriously stifling cash flow.
Firms dealing with the public sector fare no better than those selling to other businesses, said the report. The federation called for a ‘long-awaited’ review of the Prompt Payment Code to be launched and repeat offenders fined.
Two years before manufacturing growth recovers
Manufacturing will not recover its pre-coronavirus growth until 2022, a new report predicts.
The impact on the sector of the crisis cost the economy a potential £35.7bn this year alone, said manufacturing group Make UK and Santander bank.
Firms responded to the pandemic by switching production to personal protective equipment (PPE), face masks and social distancing signage for customers across Europe, said the report.
Car Dealer Live this week
Today Mercedes-Benz Vans MD Steve Bridge
Tuesday Peter Smyth, Swansway Garages
Wednesday Vanarama CEO Andy Alderson
Thursday Sanj Kumar, NK Motors
Friday Tom Blackmore, Divine Automotive
What you might have missed on Car Dealer Live last week – catch up on them all here
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