6. Care of the Vehicle

6.1 Employees should ensure that the vehicle is maintained and operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Employees must also at regular intervals check and ‘top up’ the oil, water, battery, brake and any other fluid levels and check tyre pressures and the condition of the tyres; they must pay for all such ‘topping up’ fluids. Employees will also be responsible for ensuring that the car is maintained in a roadworthy condition and for arranging for it to be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s and ALD Automotive’s recommendations (although the costs of such maintenance will be met by ALD Automotive unless the employee has breached his or her obligation to maintain the vehicle in accordance with this policy). Failure to adhere to this could result in a charge e.g. the cost of replacement brake discs if brake pads have been allowed to wear out below their normal limit.

6.2 The employee is responsible for complying with all instructions with ALD Automotive regarding timing of services and MOT (although the costs of such servicing and MOT will be met by ALD Automotive unless the employee has breached his or her obligation to maintain the vehicle in accordance with this policy). ALD Automotive reserves the right to instruct the driver not to use the vehicle if the vehicle is deemed to be non roadworthy. For example if the vehicle is taken to a garage for repairs and then the employee wants to drive it to an alternative garage but the vehicle is not in a legal state of repair to be on the road ALD Automotive have the right to inform the driver that the vehicle can not be moved.

6.3 The employee must take all reasonable precautions against frost damage and ensure sufficient antifreeze is used in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. The employee must pay for all antifreeze and for any frost damage caused by failure to take such precautions.

6.4 The employee is responsible for the cost of any repairs to the vehicle over and above fair wear and tear and the employee must pay a garage direct for any such repairs. ALD Automotive applies the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association) guide to Fair Wear and Tear. A copy of the guide is available on request.

6.5 Where ALD Automotive has met any cost of repairs and seeks to recover the cost and any administrative charges levied by ALD Automotive from the University, the University will recover the full amount (including any administrative charges levied by ALD Automotive) from the employee. By participating in this scheme, the employee is agreeing that the University can recover all additional charges levied by ALD Automotive in respect of the lease of the vehicle from their monthly salary payments. (Such salary deductions will not be subject to Salary Exchange; that is they will be made after the application of statutory deductions.) Otherwise the employee will be required to pay any additional costs levied by ALD Automotive in full on demand from the University and those costs will be recoverable as a debt.

6.6 The employee is responsible for paying any excess charge levied by ALD Automotive on the termination of the lease in respect of damage exceeding fair wear and tear and mileage in excess of the amount agreed at the commencement of the agreement. Where ALD Automotive levies any such charges on the University, the University will recover the full amount from the employee. By participating in this scheme, the employee is agreeing that the University can recover all additional charges levied by ALD Automotive on termination of the lease from their monthly salary payments. (Such salary deductions will not be subject to Salary Exchange; that is they will be made after the application of statutory deductions.) Otherwise the employee will be required to pay any additional costs levied by ALD Automotive in full on demand from the University and those costs will be recoverable as a debt.

6.7 The employee must not transfer the benefit of the agreement to or sub-hire or sub-lease or mortgage or charge the car to any other person or represent himself in any way as being the owner of the car. The employee must not part with possession of the car except in accordance with these conditions and must not allow it to be seized by any third party.

In this policy: